LING2104 The History of the English Language

Later Year Course

Offered By	School of Language Studies
Academic Career	Undergraduate
Course Subject	Linguistics
Offered in	First Semester, 2010
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	This course, taught by a specialist in the history of English grammar, will give students an overview of the history of English phonology, morphology, lexicon, and syntax as well as the development of 'new Englishes' due to colonisation. Although it is not a literature course, it will introduce students to the nature of the literature of Early, Middle, and Early Modern English and will include discussions of how scribal and editorial practices may affect our understanding of the language of texts.
Learning Outcomes	On satisfying the requirements of the course, students will be able to: Analyse a wide range of syntactic and morphological structures in Old, Middle, and Early Modern English, applying the grammatical terminology and analytical techniques they have learned in the course. Identify some major dialect differences in the period before the standardization of English. Systematically analyse some differences between the grammar of the English of earlier periods and the grammar of Present Day English. Use the Oxford English Dictionary Online and the Middle English Dictionary to learn independently about the history of individual words and collocations. Undertake guided research on a topic in English morphology, syntax, or style.
Indicative Assessment	Tutorial participation (10%). This assessment will be based on evidence of the preparation of the tutorial exercises handed out in advance. Two analytical assignments (20% each). One research paper of 1500-1800 words (20%). One 2-hour open book final examination (30%), in the examination period.
Workload	26 hours of lectures (2 per week) and 8 tutorials. Students can expect to spend 10 hours per week on this course, including lectures and tutorials.
Areas of Interest	Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Requisite Statement	LING1001 Introduction to the Study of Language or LING2001 Introduction to the Study of Language (L), or permission of lecturer.
Prescribed Texts	Essentials of Early English, by Jeremy Smith (Routledge 2005)
Preliminary Reading	Reading required before the course begins.
Majors/Specialisations	English and Linguistics
Academic Contact	Dr Cynthia Allen

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.