History of the English language: Between form and function

Timetable

30

Module aim (aims)

 

• Providing knowledge of the history of the English language from the Proto-Indo-European period to modern times

• Providing knowledge of the evolution of individual subsystems of the English language from the Middle Ages to the present day

• Developing the ability to take a process-oriented view of historical-linguistic phenomena and to understand the multifactorial cause-and-effect relationships in the history of language

• Developing the ability to identify and explain the relationships between linguistic form and function in different historical periods

 

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Confirmed knowledge and skills in the field of descriptive English linguistics as well as the history of Great Britain and other countries of the English-speaking world

Syllabus

Course description

The perspective we’ll take in this course is a critical one: we will examine how the history of English has been shaped by imperialism and white supremacy, and how these forces continue to influence language and culture today. This semester, we’ll explore the history of English up until the end of the Middle Ages by reading, watching, and listening to a mix of resources. You don’t need to arrive perfectly prepared – your active participation in our meetings will give you plenty of grounding for both the exam and the subject overall. Still, I encourage you to at least skim the suggested homework; it’s a great way to spark curiosity, make our discussions more fun, and deepen your perspective.

 

Requirements

After each meeting, two students will be randomly selected to propose 2–3 possible final test questions (depending on the topic).

The course will conclude with an oral test (50% of the final grade), based on the pool of questions you generate throughout the semester.

Class preparation and active participation will count for 25% of your grade.

The remaining 25% can be earned by submitting a reflective essay. Possible topics and detailed guidelines will be provided toward the end of the semester.

 

Materials

All course materials will be provided via Teams

 

Topics in the winter semester

As you’ll notice, there are fewer topics than meetings. The list below outlines the key material we need to cover, but it doesn’t capture the whole picture. Along the way, we’ll also explore aspects of political, cultural, and social history, and occasionally revisit issues from the history of English literature. Keep in mind that this course is, at its core, a story about power, ideology, and domination as expressed through language – that’s the central thread running through everything we’ll discuss.

1. Course intro. Data, methods, periodization
2. Language change
3. Old English – spelling, phonology, morphology, syntax
4. Foreign influences on Old English
5. Middle English multilingualism
6. Middle English – spelling, phonology, morphology, syntax, dialects
7. Medieval standardization

Reading list

1. Hogg, Richard. 2002. An introduction to Old English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
2. Smith, Jeremy & Simon Horobin. 2002. An introduction to Middle English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
3. Nevalainen, Terttu. 2006. An introduction to Early Modern English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
4. Tieken-Boon van Ostade, Ingrid. 2009. An introduction to Late Modern English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press