Units / APG5043
APG5043 · Language and multilingual societies
2026 Handbook12 credit pointsLevel 5Linguistics
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
All societies are to some extent multilingual and multidialectal. In this unit, students examine the varied roles languages can play in multilingual societies and the relationship between language and different social identities. We explore variation within languages (e.g. regional accents) as well as variation between languages, and the ways in which school systems, workplaces and other institutions respond to language variation in their midst. A key focus of this unit is the different methods of inquiry sociolinguists can use to explore these issues, and the ways in which research insights might be applied to real-world problems
Areas of study: Applied linguistics
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
| Clayton | First semester | Teaching is all online (ONLINE) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exercise/s | Exercise | 18% | — |
| 2 | Presentation | Presentation | 12% | — |
| 3 | Case study | Written | 30% | — |
| 4 | Report | Written | 40% | — |
Within semester assessment: 100%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Identify and apply key terms and concepts used in sociolinguistics;
- Reflect on their own linguistic repertoire and those of other people, and how these come to bear on our relationships with society;
- Apply techniques taught in the unit to analyse or interpret real-world data and make recommendations for action;
- Engage in informed debate on matters of theoretical and practical significance in the areas of language and society, language education, linguistic prejudice and language planning.
Workload
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 24 hours |
| Lectures | 24 hours |
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