This master course is closely co-ordinated with Prof. Geluykens’ seminar “World Englishes”. Both seminars will start with an overview phase in which central topics to the field of language variation will be covered. The topics of the overview phase will be part of the mid-term examination (in-class essay).
In the second part of the semester (workshop phase), we will shift our focus of attention towards American English (AmE) and its many subnational varieties. We will discuss major regional dialects in the U.S., social and ethnic varieties of AmE (e.g. African American English or Chicano English) and debate the repercussions of speaking a non-standard variety of AmE in the educational system. In the workshop phase, participants are expected to do a presentation on a topic of their choice.

Literature:
Crystal, David. 2004. English as a Global Language. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kachru, Braj B. 2006. The Handbook of World Englishes. Malden, MA etc.: Blackwell.
Wolfram, Walt, and Natalie Schilling. 2016. American English: Dialects and Variation. 3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.