Language, Culture and Society - Dr. Huynh Van Tai
This course introduces learners to some
contemporary approaches to the study of the interface between language and
culture. Bringing together insights from different disciplines, including
linguistic anthropology, cultural studies, sociolinguistics, and translation
studies; the course highlights the conceptualization of language as cultural
and political practices. Throughout the course, learners engage with works that
in many ways challenge the view of language as a unified and self-contained
structure divorced from social, cultural, and political contexts. Specifically,
in the first part of the course, learners will engage in discussions about how
language constitutes our perceptions of the world, shapes communication,
defines cultural practices, and delimits what we know. In the second part, the
focus will be on how language participates in the establishment of power
relations among cultures. Readings include both primary and secondary sources.