By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Distinguish between these concepts and explain how they are related.
- Describe the social functions of language choice in multilingual communities.
- Explain borrowing as a result of language contact.
- Understand the basic principles of variationist sociolinguistics.
- Observe how language varies according to social factors such as class, gender, age, and context.
- Apply sociolinguistic terminology correctly in analysis and discussion.
- Relate these concepts to English and to multilingual societies, especially those familiar to the students.