Research Practicum: Language Variation and Change in Rhode Island

This course introduces students to the study of variation and change in large speech communities, using Providence as a focal site. We will build theoretical knowledge on place identity and its relationship to other social identities (class, ethnicity, gender) and to linguistic change. Students will collect and analyze sociolinguistic data in Providence and, through a series of in-class workshops, work through the research process from design to implementation and analysis. As an RPP course, students will consider how hierarchical structures impact linguistic variation and the research methods used to study it. As a COEX course, students will gain hands-on experience with sociolinguistic research methods and complete a final project analyzing an aspect of the class’s aggregated data.