MULTI4165 – Multilingualism Specialisation C
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The academic theme of this course changes from semester to semester, but all specialisations provide students with deeper knowledge of the fundamentals of recent research on language and communication practices, with an emphasis on multilingual communication. This will include one or more research fields such as language policy, interactional sociolinguistics, multimodal/semiotic analysis, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, linguistic anthropology, computer-mediated communication, southern and decolonial approaches to multilingualism, social approaches to language acquisition or other current trends in linguistic research. The lectures will aim to align the course closely with international research collaboration, such as CircleU, or ongoing research projects at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies.
Spring 2025 specialisation:
Language policy and planning (LPP) as a discipline was initially developed as a part of sociolinguistics and language-in-society studies and emerged as a field of study in the 1960s (Kaplan, Baldauf, Liddicoat, Bryant, Barbaux, and Pütz 2000). After WWII, LPP as a result of decolonisation, moved from being primarily an integral part of nation building to a subject of academic enquiry. Recently, the academic field of LP has witnessed a critical turn, with a stronger focus on power relations and bringing in more critical and decolonial approaches. This course aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the complexity of language policies around the world via selected case studies and present case studies of the language planning and policy issues in various domains and institutions, e.g. constitutional laws, and public and private spheres, in a range of countries.
Key concepts in the field of language planning and policy will be introduced and discussed, with an emphasis on how language planning and policy decisions shape and are shaped by international, national, and local level sociolinguistic factors.
The course will also cover various frameworks and theories that have been developed to understand why certain language policies are formulated in a particular context, how they are implemented, and what their consequences and outcomes are for individuals and societies. Students may for example focus on the impact of language policies in multilingual contexts; consider the impact of a lack of policy; analyse the evolution of policies; study the actual implementation and monitoring of existing policies; consider unintended impact of policies.
Learning outcome
Students will be able to:
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Demonstrate knowledge of one or more specialised approaches to research on multilingualism
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Explain the central theories and concepts of these specialised approaches
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Critically consider the relevance of these approaches to an area of research that students may explore in their thesis
Admission to the course
Students must be enrolled in a Master`s Degree Programme at University of Oslo or one of the Circle U. Partner Universities. For Circle U. universities offering a four-year Bachelor degree: Students enrolled in a four year Bachelor degree can attend the course in their final year of studies. Contact your home institution regarding questions about getting the course approved as part of your degree.?
Students from UiO apply for admission in Studentweb. 7 places have been reserved for UiO students who apply for admission in the first round of course registrations (3-10 December). Those who are not admitted in this round can apply for admission by 6 January.?
Partner Universities apply for admission through this web form. Deadline: January 6?
The number of participants on this course is limited to a total of 30 students. In case of more than 23 eligible applicants from participating universities, eligible applicants will be pooled together and chosen at random to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to participate. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed admission to the course even if they are qualified.
Recommended previous knowledge
No formal requirements. It is an advantage if students are simultaneously enrolled in or have completed MULTI4100 – Theoretical Foundations of Multilingualism - Theoretical Foundations of Multilingualism and/or LING4140 – Linguistic Method - Linguistic Method or similar. If space is available, it is possible to take the course without this background however.
The course assumes a good proficiency in written and oral English.
Teaching
10 double seminar sessions. All teaching will be digital/online.?
Students should participate actively in all sessions. Students must attend a minimum of 75% of sessions in order to receive credit for the course.?
The course will be run as a combination of short lectures, groups activities and student led activities.?
Each student must complete a compulsory assignment given by the teacher during the course of the seminar. The assignment may consist of several parts and must be approved by the teacher before the student can take the final exam.
Examination
Term paper. Each student writes an assignment of approximately 10 pages in length (2300 characters without spaces per page); details of the assignment will be provided in class.
Submit assignments?in Inspera:
You submit your assignment in the digital examination system Inspera.?Read about how to submit assignments?in Inspera.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to?the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of?cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you may submit your response in English, French or a Scandinavian language
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.