The course is designed to introduce students to contemporary sociolinguistic concepts and their implications vis-à-vis language teaching and learning.  The course focuses specifically on the variationist (W. Labov) and interactionist (J. Gumperz) concepts in order to help students understand better language dynamics and their own linguistic context.  In this regard, students will be introduced to concepts relating to language policies and planning, linguistic norms, bilingualism, plurilingualism, diglossia and linguistic awareness in a multicultural society with particular reference to Ghana and Francophone West Africa in particular.  It will also be necessary to examine/evaluate language policies and social representations of language (e.g. English and African Languages) in some selected West African countries including Ghana.