LANGUAGE, RACE, AND IDENTITY

CURRIC 736

Overview of issues that influence and determine the language and academic developmet of English language learners. Explore social, cultural and educational contexts and practices as they relate to the education of this population.

ENGL 179

Explores myths and ideologies about English language usage in the US (present and past) from a linguistic perspective. Discusses how common perceptions towards language use and language varieties, especially those associated with ethnic or racial minorities, are socially (not linguistically) constructed. Addresses questions like: Where do linguistic myths, especially those regarding varieties of American English used by persistently marginalized groups, come from and how does one check if there is a factual basis for them? Who gets to decide which words are entered into a dictionary or what constitutes 'proper' English? What perceptions do people have about 'good' and 'bad' dialects and accents? Who benefits and who is harmed by such perceptions? Approaches these and related questions within an anti-racist framework, showing that perceptions towards certain English varieties are often not grounded in linguistic facts but rather in bias against certain demographic groups.

ANTHRO/LINGUIS 430

The relationship of language as a communication system to the culture transmitted by it. Principle problems in the interrelations of language and nonlinguistic human behavior.

ENGL 316

Description and analysis of geographical and social variation in English in the United States.

CS&D 120

The impact of cultural and linguistic diversity on the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD); different ideas about what culture is, how culture influences different aspects of communication, and how cultural and linguistic differences intersect with neurodiversity, and with difficulties in speech, language, hearing, voice, and swallowing. Language variation, including bilingualism, multilingualism, dialect, and accent. Culturally responsive assessment and intervention; working with interpreters and translators. Main focus is on two populations - Spanish-English and African American English speakers in the United States. Also discusses other cultural and linguistic communities in the US and around the world.