LFU:online

Aims of the lecture are: to increase awareness of the gap between data and abstract models in the humanities; to develop critical reflections on existing models; to develop knowledge of the main issues in the variationist paradigm, with special focus on linguistics.

Among the critically reviewed concepts will be: - interdisciplinary basis of outlook on variation; -denomination and delimitation of language varieties; - coexistence of variants: theoretical models vs. hard evidence; - representations of variation, incl. language atlases; -variational linguistics and sociolinguistics; - variation in acquisition; - factors conditioning variation of language behaviour; - the limits of metadescription; -conditioning metaphors and hidden ideologies in linguistics and other disciplines.

Frontal teaching, discussions concerning the participants’ subfields.

Participants are expected to prepare discussions by bringing examples from their respective research fields and read assigned chapters. End-of-course exam: 1) brief report on a relevant subtopic within those dealt with; 2) debate assessment and research projection report on two further sub-areas.

Will be discussed in the first lesson.

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