Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

Basic knowledge of syntax and phonetics/phonology.

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

• To familiarise students with the main linguistic developments (syntactic, phonological, lexical, pragmatic) in the history of the English language;
• To develop students' ability to read texts from a variety of periods in the history of English;
• To develop students’ ability to analyse linguistic features of texts and carry out independent work with texts;
• To deepen and broaden students' knowledge of syntax and phonology by applying relevant concepts and techniques to data from earlier periods of English;
• To give students a good insight into the processes by which the English language has evolved into its present-day state;
• To develop competence in using dictionaries, historical corpora and other electronic resources for independent work.

Outline Of Syllabus

Lecture material provides a chronological survey of English, examining the major features of Old English, Middle English, and Early and Late Modern English. It also explores special topics related to the socio-historical and linguistic context in the areas of standard languages, variation and language contact, with examples potentially drawn from Scots, Irish and American varieties, as well as English varieties. Small group classes focus on the detailed examination of the language in action, with an emphasis on the reading and analysis of texts which range across the centuries and across genres, including literary texts and personal letters.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed this module
(1) have a good knowledge of the historical evolution of English and of the syntactic, phonological, semantic and pragmatic processes that have driven this evolution;
(2) have a good knowledge of the way linguistic properties of English in its various periods can be expected to manifest themselves in texts and of the way such properties patterned in terms of style and genre;
(3) have some knowledge of the digital resources for the study of historical change in English, in particular in early and late Modern English;
(4) have a good knowledge of the main literature on historical change in English and an awareness of the different theoretical models that are employed in it.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed this module
(1) are able to carry out independent work on historical English texts at all levels of linguistic structure;
(2) are able to apply concepts and theories relevant to linguistic change in order to arrive at the fullest possible understanding of selected historical developments in English;
(3) are able to devise and carry out an independent project in the general subject area of the module;
(4) are able to present their own research findings in this area in an appropriate academic form.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture materials will provide information about the features of the English language in its various periods, outline historical contexts, demonstrate and discuss methods and resources for text analysis, and provide overall coherence for the module.

Small Group Teaching will involve detailed textual analysis work of various types, focusing mainly on sample texts from each of the key periods in the history of the English language. These sessions also aim to enhance understanding of approaches to historical texts from a linguistic perspective.

The guided independent study will involve: (a) following up on reading and other resources identified in the lecture materials; (b) practising and developing the skills in linguistic analysis that will be the basis for the small group sessions; and (c) other general reading and revision that will aid in preparation for the mid-module and end-of-semester assignments.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The end-of-semester Essay #2 (70%; 2500 words) requires students to show they can carry out a small-scale independent research project in the subject area of the module, focusing on concepts / theories / issues that are relevant to the later periods of English (Early Modern and Late Modern). The mid-module Essay #1 (30%; 1500 words) enables students to obtain practice in this and to further develop their written expression, focusing on concepts / theories / issues that are relevant to the earlier periods of English (Old English and Middle English).

General Notes

N/A