Postgraduate Course: History of the English Language (LASC11121)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course will provide students with an accelerated introduction to the development of the English Language, both within the United Kingdom and overseas. |
| Course description |
Following a brief introduction to key aspects of the external history of the language, students will learn about the linguistic characteristics of English from the earliest historical records through to the present day. They will learn how to discuss and evaluate different kinds of evidence used in historical linguistic research. Attention will be given to the development of both standard and non-standard varieties of English, and to general principles of historical linguistics as they apply to change in English phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
The week-by-week syllabus is as follows:
Week 1: External factors in the development of English
Week 2: The earliest English
Week 3: From Old English to Middle English
Week 4: British English in early modern times
Week 5: Late Modern English: the British Isles
Week 6: Late Modern English: beyond the British Isles
Week 7: The history of English words: an introduction to semantic and morphological change
Week 8: Phonological change in English
Week 9: Morphosyntactic change in English
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
79 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% examination |
| Feedback |
There will be interactive exercises and short assignments on Learn as a preparation for the exam. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | History of the English Language | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- recognise characteristic properties of earlier varieties of English
- apply knowledge of general principles of historical linguistics to changes in the structure of English
- understand the ways in which standard and non-standard varieties of English came into being and developed, both within the British Isles and across the world
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Reading List
| Hogg, Richard and David Denison (eds.). 2006. A History of the English Language. Cambridge: CUP. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course, students will have developed the following transferable skills:
- critical evaluation of different kinds of evidence
- close analysis of data of different kinds
- problem solving |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Attend all lectures as scheduled |
| Keywords | history of English,historical linguistics,language change |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Graeme Trousdale
Tel: (0131 6)50 3599
Email: Graeme.Trousdale@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Toni Noble
Tel: (0131 6)51 3188
Email: Toni.noble@ed.ac.uk |
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