This submission describes a four-part portfolio assignment from a master’s-level introduction to Variationist Sociolinguistics that was designed to help students understand the goals and methods of the field. Parts 1-3 prepare students for a collaborative class project that examines accents in English-speaking pop music from the Netherlands. In part 4, students use the skills they have gained throughout the course to develop a research idea of their own, which they expand on in their final paper, which is a research proposal. Taken together, the four assignments equip students with the theoretical and methodological skills to conduct independent research on language variation and change. Adapted from Tagliamonte’s (in press) step-by-step description of how to conduct a research project in Variationist Sociolinguistics, this portfolio assignment is ideal for instructors who want their students to develop hands-on research skills, but do not have time or access to relevant populations to conduct original fieldwork.
 

Keywords: variationist sociolinguistics, world Englishes, research-based learning, research skills

How to cite: Pabst, K. (2025). Pop music as a window into language variation: Integrating research-based learning into the sociolinguistics classroom. TRILL: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Linguistics 1(1). Linguistic Society of America.

How to download: Click on the "Resources" tab above for a pdf of the narrative and other materials.