Language and Society

This elective course focuses on language use in our contemporary society. Some of the questions we are discussing include: How do languages evolve and change? Are some people better at learning languages than others? What does AI have to do with language and discrimination? How do memes affect our everyday language use? Each of the eight weeks will combine topics of linguistics with one of the seven SAS majors, providing a comprehensive look at what kinds of topics can be studied through a “linguistic lens”.

By the end of the course, students have a basic understanding of how language is embedded in every aspect of our lives, how to navigate some of the language-related challenges in your studies and later in your work, and how those challenges can be studied in interdisciplinary settings. The course is suitable especially for 2nd year students who are not sure which major to choose yet. However, also 3rd and 4th year students who are fascinated by language use are welcome to take part.