Variation and language teaching, 5 op

The course considers the challenges and implications that language variation poses for language teaching, with specific reference to English. The course is specifically designed for future professionals in language learning and teaching, and offers suggestions and support for thesis research in this area, but it is useful for all students interested in language variation as such. The course reviews the main dimensions along which language can vary, including mode and register (spoken and written language, formal and informal styles), domain (special languages), social categories (e.g. class, gender and age), or geographical region (Englishes), and the ways in which these dimensions are, can and perhaps should be taken into account in the classroom in different educational contexts.