HENKF2701U ENG Free topic 1-3: A Sociolinguistics of the South

Volume 2026/2027
Education

Kandidat i engelsk, 2021.

Kandidatdelen af sidefaget i engelsk, 2026 (sidefagsforlængelse på den udvidede gymnasiefagpakke).

Content

This course is centred around the question: what are the implications for the study of language in society when we engage with theoretical developments such as decoloniality, southern theory, epistemologies of the South, and theory from the South?
 

The course reviews recent works of scholars in language-related disciplines who have started to address the aforementioned question in an attempt to identify, discuss, and build on pressing questions in the development of sociolinguistics as a discipline, and the relevance of these questions for understanding the role of language in shaping social life.

Some of these questions include:

 

  • to what extent are established understandings of the role of English in society still useful to address issues in the contemporary world? Can these understandings be expanded by more recent concepts, such as linguistic citizenship and language as hope?
  • what are the ontological and epistemological assumptions in relation to (i) what is considered data, (ii) how relationships between participants and researchers are established, (iii) what societal impact is, and (iv) ways in which community-centred approaches and Indigenous methodologies can reframe such assumptions

 

By engaging with sociolinguistic studies conducted in different geographical locations (e.g. Australia, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Africa), students will have the opportunity to learn more about the lived experiences of people where English plays a majoritised role. Moreover, students will be able to develop a conceptual vocabulary to analyse the role of language in reproducing/challenging power differentials and forging equitable life conditions.

Learning Outcome

Efter endt kursus kan den studerende demonstrere:

 

Viden om og forståelse af

  • væsentlige problemstillinger inden for et fagligt emne
  • et udvalgt fagligt emne både for dets betydning i en bredere faglig
  • sammenhæng og for det teoretiske grundlag for den eksisterende viden om emnet.

 

Færdigheder i at

  • diskutere de væsentlige faglige problemstillinger i det valgte emne på
  • en klar og nuanceret måde
  • indplacere det valgte emne i en relevant teoretisk sammenhæng og
  • forholde sig til de metoder, der anvendes på det pågældende felt og
  • på de praksisfelter der typisk indgår i erhvervsmæssig beskæftigelse
  • med emnet
  • give en reflekteret og selvstændig analyse med henvisning til forskningsbaseret viden om væsentlige problemstillinger inden for et fagligt emne
  • formidle forskningsbaseret viden og faglige diskussioner på en klar og
  • veldokumenteret måde i overensstemmelse med akademiske normer.

 

Kompetencer i at

  • indsætte den faglige viden i en tværfaglig sammenhæng på en måde,
  • der forener faglig dybde med evne til at se tilknytningspunkter i forhold til andre fagligheder
  • som sprogligt basismål udtrykke sig sammenhængende og forståeligt
  • på et højt grammatisk, ortografisk og idiomatisk korrekthedsniveau
  • med anvendelse af et varieret og nuanceret gloseforråd
  • tilrettelægge og styre egen arbejdsproces i forhold til opgaveformål,
  • samarbejde og fastsatte tidsrammer.

This is a compendium and textbook-free course. All readings used are available online (for free) through the university library. A detailed course plan including readings for each week will be made available via Absalon before the course begins. Students are responsible for getting hold of the material listed in the course plan and read it in advance of each session, but please do not hesitate to contact the course teachers if you have problems locating particular items.

The course is taught as one integrated 15 ECTS course with a portfolio exam. The module is designed to be highly interactive. Based on a mix of lectures, individual as well as collective class activities, assignments and feedback, students will get to study and work with research-based themes and recent methodological developments in sociolinguistics. Towards the end of the module, students will conduct an individual assignment based on empirical data collection and analysis using methods introduced in the course.
This course only leads to exams Free Topic 1, Free Topic 2 and Free Topic 3.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 56
  • Preparation
  • 206
  • Exam
  • 150,5
  • Total
  • 412,5
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio, A joint portfolio
Type of assessment details
Portfolio, A joint portfolio uploaded in digital exam consisting of:
– An essay of 4-5-pages, with peer feedback (weight: 20%)
– A research synopsis of 3-4-pages, with peer feedback (weight: 30%)
– A project report of 14-16 pages (weight: 50%)
The project assignment has to be based on empirical data collection and analysis using methods introduced in the course. The topic for this assignment can be chosen among the course topics and has to be approved by the teachers in course week 12 at the latest.

Prøveform: Portfolio. Omfang: 21-25 normalsider, jf. Særlige bestemmelser.
Gruppebestemmelser: Prøven kan kun aflægges individuelt.
Eksaminationssprog: Engelsk.

Særlige bestemmelser
Portfolien består af en række bundne elementer, hvoraf en del kan udgøres af mundtlige oplæg.
Aid
All aids allowed

For rules on generative artificial intelligence (GAI), see Study Information.
 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Re-exam: Portfolio, 26–30 standard pages, cf. Special Provisions.
Special Provisions:
For the re-exam, the portfolio must, in addition to the mandatory elements (activities) included in the ordinary exam, contain a 4–5 standard-page response to an additional assignment. This assignment is formulated by the instructor and covers a topic or angle not already addressed in the mandatory elements.

Criteria for exam assesment