Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

The MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics (2011/12)

Social and functional approaches to language acquisition

Dr Henriëtte Hendriks

This course offers an introduction to the various theoretical approaches to second (and first) language acquisition other than the Principles and Parameters approach. Part of the sessions will look at the sociolinguistic approach to language acquisition, with topics to be discussed including multilingualism, social factors influencing learners' attitutdes (age, gender, power), bilingual education, etc. Other approaches to be introduced include the pidginization theory, error analysis, morpheme-order studies, grammaticalization approaches, functional approaches and studies basing their ideas on the phenomenon of the learner variety.

Reading for this course will include:

• Bremer, K., Roberts, C., Vasseur, M.T., Simonot, M. and Broeder, P. 1996. Achieving understanding: discourse in intercultural encounters. London, New York: Longman.
• Eckert, P. 1997. Age as a sociolinguistic variable. In: F. Coulmas, ed. The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. 151-67.
• Ellis, R. 1994. The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Garcia, O. 1997. Bilingual Education. in: F. Coulmas, ed. The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. 405-20.
• Gumperz, J.J. 1990. Language and Social Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Labov, W. 1990. 'The intersection of sex and social class in the course of linguistic change'. Language Variation and Linguistic Change 2:205-54.
• Larsen-Freeman, D. and Long, M. 1991. An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research. London: Longman.
• Perdue, C. 1993. Adult Language Acquisition (Vol. I and II). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Tarone, E. 1988. Variation in Interlanguage. London: Edward Arnold.
• Wodak, R. and Benke, G. 1997. Gender as a sociolinguistic variable: new perspectives on variation studies. In: F. Coulmas, ed. The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. 127-50.