Semiotics is the study of signs, how they are used, and how they are interpreted. What is a sign? What are the components of a sign? How do people use signs in social and linguistic practice and what purpose do these signs serve? What are the connections between objects and social meanings and how do these connections arise and transform? How do social meanings of signs stem from and transform social and cultural practice more broadly? This course will engage with key topics and concepts in the study of semiotic theory�e.g., indexicality, iconicity, enregisterment, embodiment, agency� and how these topics bear on research in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. Recommended prerequisite: LING 6310 or LING 6320.
