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141019 SE Selected Topics II: From Dialect Contact to Mixed Varieties: Case Studies from Jordan (2025S)

8.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Continuous assessment of course work
We 05.03. 11:30-13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 19.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 26.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 02.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 09.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 30.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 07.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 14.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 21.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 28.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 04.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 11.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 18.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27
  • Wednesday 25.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Arabica UniCampus Hof 4 2D-O1-27

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar explores the intricate relationship between language variation and language change through the lens of dialect contact and levelling, with a focus on Arabic dialects in Jordan. Students will be introduced to key theoretical frameworks, including dialect contact, levelling, and koineization, and examine their application in real-world linguistic settings. The course will investigate how urbanization and social mobility contribute to the emergence of mixed varieties, highlighting specific case studies from Amman and other Jordanian contexts.
Through a combination of theoretical analysis and practical transcription exercises, participants will analyze linguistic features undergoing change, such as phonology, morphology, and syntax. Drawing on fieldwork from Bedouin and sedentary dialects, the seminar provides insights into the dynamics of feature reduction, convergence, and the formation of mixed dialects. Students will engage with foundational studies and contemporary research, fostering an understanding of language change processes in Arabic-speaking communities and their broader theoretical implications.

Assessment and permitted materials

Active Participation: Students are expected to engage in discussions and respond to questions based on assigned readings.
Mid-Term Test: A written assessment covering key seminar topics.
Final Presentation: A 30-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session, focusing on a case study selected by the student and including examples from personal research on a chosen dialect.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Attendance: Max number of absences: 3 classes
Participation (25%): Includes contributions to discussions and responses to questions based on assigned readings, evaluated at the beginning of each session.
Mid-Term Test (25%): Assesses understanding of the seminar's core content.
Final Presentation (50%): Evaluated on the clarity, depth, and originality of the case study analysis.

Examination topics

No exam.

Reading list

Al-Wer, E. (2007). The formation of the dialect of Amman: From chaos to order. In C. Miller, E. Al-Wer, D. Caubet, & J. C. E. Watson (Eds.), Arabic in the city: Issues in dialect contact and language variation (pp. 55–76). London: Routledge.
Al-Wer, E., Horesh, U., Herin, B., & Fanis, M. (2015). How Arabic regional features become sectarian features: Jordan as a case study. Zeitschrift für Arabische Linguistik, 62, 68–87.
Al-Wer, E. & Herin, B. (2011). The lifecycle of qaf in Jordan. Langage et Société, 138(4), 59–76.
Al-Wer, E., & Horesh, U. (Eds.). (2021). The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Sociolinguistics. London: Routledge.
Holes, C. (1995). Modern Arabic: Structures, functions, and varieties. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Kerswill, P. (2002). Koineization and accommodation. In J. K. Chambers, P. Trudgill, & N. Schilling-Estes (Eds.), The handbook of language variation and change (pp. 669–702). Oxford: Blackwell.
Miller, C. (2007). Arabic urban vernaculars: Development and change. In C. Miller, E. Al-Wer, D. Caubet, & J. C. E. Watson (Eds.), Arabic in the city: Issues in dialect contact and language variation (pp. 1–30). London: Routledge.
Palva, H. (1982). Patterns of dialectal variation in Modern Spoken Arabic. Acta Orientalia, 43(1–2), 241–252.
Torzullo, A. (2022). The Emergence of a Mixed Type Dialect: The Example of the Dialect of the Bani ʕAbbād Tribe (Jordan). Languages, 7(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7010009
Trudgill, P. (1986). Dialects in contact. Oxford: Blackwell.

Association in the course directory

AS-4
WM-24

Last modified: Th 16.01.2025 12:25