General information
| Course type | AMUPIE |
| Module title | History of English: Between form and function |
| Language | English |
| Module lecturer | prof. UAM dr hab. Ewa Ciszek-Kiliszewska |
| Lecturer's email | ewac@amu.edu.pl |
| Lecturer position | AMU Professor |
| Faculty | Faculty of English |
| Semester | 2026/2027 (winter) |
| Duration | 30 |
| ECTS | 2 |
| USOS code | 15FANS.130.14633.25 |
Timetable
Thursdays, 11.30 a.m. – 1 p.m., room 213, Collegium Heliodori (Grunwaldzka 6)
Module aim (aims)
- acquainting students with core concepts related to the development of English from its pre-Indo-European roots to Late Middle English
- providing students with knowledge of the structure and the evolution of the various subsystems of the English language from Old English to the late medieval period
- helping students discover links between social and civilisational changes and the evolution of the English language over time
- familiarising students with sources (documentary, material, visual) which provide knowledge about the earliest stages of English
- helping students identify and explain relationships between the form of a language and its functions in various historical periods
Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)
B2/C1 level of English
Syllabus
The course will consist of weekly meetings, each devoted to a different aspect of the prehistory and history of the English language. Students will participate in class discussions, analyses of original historical materials, and problem-solving activities. Students will be supported through presentations of the topics discussed and through instructor guidance during class activities.
Throughout the semester, students will be required to complete mandatory online activities available on the WA Moodle platform. These activities combine problem-solving, data interpretation, and self-reflection. At the end of the course, students will demonstrate their understanding of the topics discussed during an oral interview with the lecturer, conducted in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
TOPICS to be discussed in the winter semester:
1. Course introduction; Data, methods, periodisation
2. Language change
3. Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Germanic
4. Old English – spelling, phonology, morphology, syntax
5. Foreign influences on Old English
6. Middle English multilingualism
7. Middle English – spelling, phonology, morphology, syntax, dialects
Credit requirements:
- attendance:
- Students may be absent twice per semester;
- Each additional absence without a doctor’s certificate will result in a 3% deduction from the final semester grade.
- preparation for classes:
- Students are expected to prepare for classes by carefully reading the assigned materials at home before the classes.
- active participation in class discussions and activities (30%)
- a few home assignments on Moodle and occasional quizzes (announced at least 2 weeks in advance) (30%)
- final interview (40%)
- Students will be required to answer four questions from a previously agreed question bank.
To pass the course, students must achieve a minimum average of 60% of the total points available during the semester. A grade is awarded at the end of the semester.
Reading list
Obligatory:
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.
Supplementary:
1. Fisiak, Jacek. 1995. An outline history of English. Poznan: SAWW.
2. Millward, Celia M. 1989. A biography of the English language. Fort Worth: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanowich
3. Algeo, John. 2010. The origins and development of the English language (6th edition). Boston: Wadsworth.