Analysing Language Contact: An Arctic Case Study (MA Seminar Linguistics) (Open to CSLS)
Dienstag, 17.03.2026
This seminar introduces students to key approaches and methods for analysing data in the study of language contact, with a particular focus on the linguistic ecologies of the Arctic. In the first part of the course, we will consider language contact and the Arctic from a broader perspective including a) an introduction to the language profile of the Polar North, and b) an overview of key sociolinguistic theoretical and methodological frameworks for studying the interaction and conjunction of multiple languages. In the second part of the course, students will conduct hands-on analyses of sociolinguistic data collected in Longyearbyen during a fieldwork excursion in autumn 2025. These data sets include surveys, interviews, and images capturing language use, attitudes, and the linguistic landscape. Students will first be introduced to Longyearbyen (population ca. 3,000), the main settlement on Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic territory. With no visa requirement for residence, Longyearbyen is a highly multilingual environment home to people from more than 50 nationalities. It therefore offers an ideal site for examining the sociolinguistic consequences of language contact, including contact among various dialects of English, Norwegian, and other languages. The seminar combines theoretical grounding with practical analysis and encourages critical reflection on the politics of multilingualism in the Arctic.
| Dozierende(r): | Dr. Danielle Natasha Tod, Dr. Hannah Joy Black Hedegard |
|---|---|
| 17.03.2026: | 12:15 - 14:00 |
| Ort: | EG, F 012, Seminarraum Unitobler Lerchenweg 32-36 |
Sie können diese Veranstaltung in ihrer persönlichen Agenda speichern. In Ihrer persönlichen Veranstaltungsübersicht finden Sie alle relevanten Detailinformationen zu Ihren gespeicherten Veranstaltungen zum Ausdrucken.