This course can be used towards the Sociocultural Dimensions major or minor requirements.
This course is an introduction to the study of Hispanic sociolinguistics from a variationist perspective. Main theoretical and methodological issues will be discussed based on examples drawn from studies of variation in Spanish. Our main focus will be on the role of Spanish in its social context as the basis for understanding issues central to observation, description, and explanation of linguistic variation and change across time. This approach allows for a close examination of the straight correlations between linguistic variation (phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical) and external constraints (pragmatic, social, and stylistic). Readings, exercises, and discussions will center on methods of data collection (e.g. sociolinguistic interview), variable rule analysis, and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.