This course focuses on the study of language & race—both as a social-scientific category & as a lived identity. While African-American Vernacular English (or AAVE) or Black English will feature prominently, this course will also bring in examples from other speech varieties & their respective social contexts for the purpose of having a more general conception of language and race. No background in Linguistics is required, as many crucial features of the study of Linguistics will be introduced and incorporated into analytically interesting issues, including the problem of classification of languages (in relation to the social contingent origin of classification).
