I didn't expect to like this course so much but I couldn't recommend it more - do yourself a favor and take this course. Even without a background in linguistics, the course is straightforward and is pretty much a 'mythbusting' course. Each week the prof presents a new myth about language (eg. "texting-speak is bad English") and the week goes into learning about ways to refute the myth. The content is incredibly relevant, especially to current events and social issues which was super interesting to learn about (eg. racism in criminal court cases and discrimination against regional accents) and this was probably one of my favorite classes all year. The readings aren't too bad, most of it comes from one specific pdf that's really easy to get through and understand.

Gunnar is so incredibly considerate and communicates the content in a comprehensible manner, even for those who have no background in linguistics like me. He made the course incredibly enjoyable and you could tell he was doing his best. Highly recommend him.