29403 - Sociolinguistics (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will be acquainted with main topics in sociolinguistics and will gain advanced knowledge of sociolinguistic variation of Italian. Moreover, students will acquire basic knowledge of some data analysis tools widely used in sociolinguistics. With this competence, students will be aware of sociolinguistic variation of languages (specifically of Italian) and will be familiar with description patterns of sociolinguistic variation. Moreover, they will be able to use categories and methods of sociolinguistic in order to describe and analyze language facts.

Course contents

The course is mainly addressed to students with background knowledge of linguistics.

The course is divided into two parts:

Part I

Introduction to sociolinguistics and the sociolinguistic scenario of contemporary Italian:

- Areas of study of sociolinguistics;

- Basic notions (linguistic community, linguistic repertoire, etc.);

- Sociolinguistic variables;

- The notion of continuum;

- Range of variation;

- Sociolinguistic variation of Italian and Architektur der Sprache;

- Some Italian varieties: neo-standard Italian, italiano popolare.

Part II

The relationship between typology and sociolinguistic variation:

- Non-standard varieties and typological considerations;

- Vernacular universals;

- Sociolinguistic variation and change;

- Typological correlations between Italian linguistic features;

- Intralinguistic variation from a typological perspective.

Readings/Bibliography

The course has been designed for students with a basic background in linguistics (i.e. with competences like those that are developed in General Linguistics classes, or in classes on the History of various languages). The students who believe not to have this background knowledge are advised to refer to a basic handbook of linguistics, as. e.g Berruto, Gaetano & Massimo, Cerruti (2017), La linguistica. Un corso introduttivo, Torino, UTET

Program for students who attend the lectures

Part I

It is required the study of:

a) Berruto, Gaetano, 2007 [1995], Fondamenti di Sociolinguistica, Bari, Laterza.

Chapters:

Chap. 1: La collocazione della sociolinguistica tra le scienze del linguaggio

Chap. 3: Nozioni fondamentali e unità di analisi

Chap. 5: L’analisi della variazione interna alla lingua

b) Berruto, Gaetano, 2012, Sociolinguistica dell’italiano contemporaneo. Seconda edizione, Roma, Carocci.

Chapters:

Chap. 1: L’italiano come gamma di varietà

Chap. 2: Tendenze di ristandardizzazione

Chap. 3: L’italiano popolare

Chap. 4: La dimensione diafasica

Part II

It is required the study of:

Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese, 2023, Analyzing language variation: where sociolinguistics and linguistic typology meet. In: Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese (a cura di), Sociolinguistic and typological perspective on language variation. Berlino: De Gruyter, 1-28.

Chambers, Jack, 2004, Dynamic typology and vernacular universals. In: Kortmann, Bernd (a cura di), Dialectology meets typology: Dialect grammar from a cross-linguistic perspective. Berlino-New York: De Gruyter, 128-145.

Three papers among:

• Ballarè, Silvia, 2024, Relativization strategies and sociolinguistic variation in spoken Italian: a typological account. Linguistic typology at the crossroads 4(2), 125-157.

• Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese, 2022, The development of locative relative markers: from typology to sociolinguistics (and back). In: Studies in Language 46 (1), 220-257.
• Berretta, Monica, 1994, Correlazioni tipologiche fra tratti morfosintattici dell’italiano ‘neostandard’. In: Holtus, Günter & Edgar Radtke (a cura di), Sprachprognostik und das ‘italiano di domani’. Prospettive per una linguistica ‘prognostica’, Tübingen: Niemeyer, 125-152.
• Berruto, Gaetano, 2009, Περί συντάξεως. Sintassi e variazione. In: Ferrari, Angela (a cura di), Sintassi storica e sincronica dell’italiano. Subordinazione, coordinazione, giustapposizione, Atti del X Congresso della Società Internazionale di Linguistica e Filologia italiana (Basilea, 30 giugno-3 luglio 2008). Firenze: Cesati, 21-58.
• Cerruti, Massimo, 2017, Changes from below, changes from above: relative constructions in contemporary Italian. In: Cerruti, Massimo, Claudia Crocco & Stefania Marzo (a cura di), Towards a New Standard. Theoretical and Empirical Studies on the Restandardization of Italian. Berlin – New York: De Gruyter, 62-88.
• Grandi, Nicola, 2019, Che tipo, l’italiano neostandard!. In: Moretti, Bruno, Aline Kunz, Silvia Natale & Etna Krakenberger (a cura di), Le tendenze dell’italiano contemporaneo rivisitate. Atti del 52esimo Congresso Internazionale di Studi della Società di Linguistica Italiana, Berna, 6-8 settembre 2018, Officinaventuno, Milano, 59-74.

  It is suggested the reading of:

  Ballarè, Silvia, Eugenio Goria e Caterina Mauri, 2022, Italiano parlato e variazione linguistica. Teoria e prassi nella costruzione del corpus KIParla, Bologna, Pàtron.

  Program for students who do not attend the lectures

  Part I

  It is required the study of:

  a) Berruto, Gaetano, 2007 [1995], Fondamenti di Sociolinguistica, Bari, Laterza.

  Chapters:

  Chap. 1: La collocazione della sociolinguistica tra le scienze del linguaggio

  Chap. 2: Problemi e presupposti teorici della sociolinguistica

  Chap. 3: Nozioni fondamentali e unità di analisi

  Chap. 5: L’analisi della variazione interna alla lingua

  b) Berruto, Gaetano, 2012, Sociolinguistica dell’italiano contemporaneo. Seconda edizione, Roma, Carocci.

  Chapters:

  Chap. 1: L’italiano come gamma di varietà

  Chap. 2: Tendenze di ristandardizzazione

  Chap. 3: L’italiano popolare

  Chap. 4: La dimensione diafasica

  c) Ballarè, Silvia, Eugenio Goria e Caterina Mauri, 2022, Italiano parlato e variazione linguistica. Teoria e prassi nella costruzione del corpus KIParla, Bologna, Pàtron.

  (the book will be available from October)

  Part II

  It is required the study of:

  Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese, 2023, Analyzing language variation: where sociolinguistics and linguistic typology meet. In: Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese (a cura di), Sociolinguistic and typological perspective on language variation. Berlino: De Gruyter, 1-28.

  Chambers, Jack, 2004, Dynamic typology and vernacular universals. In: Kortmann, Bernd (a cura di), Dialectology meets typology: Dialect grammar from a cross-linguistic perspective. Berlino-New York: De Gruyter, 128-145.

  Five papers among:

• Auer, Peter, 2004, Non-standard evidence in syntactic typology – Methodological remarks on the use of dialect data vs spoken language data. In: Kortmann, Bernd (a cura di), Dialectology meets typology: Dialect grammar from a cross-linguistic perspective. Berlino-New York:De Gruyter, 69-92.
• Ballarè, Silvia, 2024, Relativization strategies and sociolinguistic variation in spoken Italian: a typological account. Linguistic typology at the crossroads 4(2), 125-157.

• Ballarè, Silvia & Guglielmo Inglese, 2022, The development of locative relative markers: from typology to sociolinguistics (and back). In: Studies in Language 46 (1), 220-257.
• Berretta, Monica, 1994, Correlazioni tipologiche fra tratti morfosintattici dell’italiano ‘neostandard’. In: Holtus, Günter & Edgar Radtke (a cura di), Sprachprognostik und das ‘italiano di domani’. Prospettive per una linguistica ‘prognostica’, Tübingen: Niemeyer, 125-152.
• Berruto, Gaetano, 2009, Περί συντάξεως. Sintassi e variazione. In: Ferrari, Angela (a cura di), Sintassi storica e sincronica dell’italiano. Subordinazione, coordinazione, giustapposizione, Atti del X Congresso della Società Internazionale di Linguistica e Filologia italiana (Basilea, 30 giugno-3 luglio 2008). Firenze: Cesati, 21-58.
• Cerruti, Massimo, 2017, Changes from below, changes from above: relative constructions in contemporary Italian. In: Cerruti, Massimo, Claudia Crocco & Stefania Marzo (a cura di), Towards a New Standard. Theoretical and Empirical Studies on the Restandardization of Italian. Berlin – New York: De Gruyter, 62-88.
• Grandi, Nicola, 2019, Che tipo, l’italiano neostandard!. In: Moretti, Bruno, Aline Kunz, Silvia Natale & Etna Krakenberger (a cura di), Le tendenze dell’italiano contemporaneo rivisitate. Atti del 52esimo Congresso Internazionale di Studi della Società di Linguistica Italiana, Berna, 6-8 settembre 2018, Officinaventuno, Milano, 59-74.
• Szmrecsanyi, Benedikt & Bernd Kortmann. 2009, Vernacular Universals and Angloversals in a Typological Perspective. In: Filppula, Markku, Juhani Klemola & Heli Paulasto, Vernacular Universals and Language Contacts, London-New York: Routledge, 19-32.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral examination on the program in order to evaluate the acquisition of the basic notions of sociolinguistics and the ability to critically re-elaborate what was addressed during the course.

During the assessment, will be appreciated the correct use of the terminology of the discipline, the rigor in the presentation and argumentation, the achievement of a global vision of the topics addressed during the course and the ability to propose links between the different topics. On the other hand, the mnemonic exposure of the contents and the presence of logical leaps and gaps will be evaluated negatively.

It is absolutely mandatory to register for the exam through Almaesami. If many students sign up, the instructor will communicate a time plan for the oral exams as soon as the lists close.

Teaching tools

The material (readings, slides used in class, etc.) will be uploaded on the "Virtuale" e-learning platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).

Office hours

See the website of Emanuele Miola