SEL2212 : Early English: Texts, Patterns and Varieties - Undergraduate Study

Offered for Year: 2020/21

Module Leader(s): Dr Adam Mearns
Lecturer: Dr William van der Wurff, Professor Karen Corrigan

Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Semester 2 Credit Value:	20
ECTS Credits:	10.0

Aims

• To develop students' competence in reading texts from a variety of periods in the history of English;
• To develop students’ ability to analyse linguistic features of texts;
• To build on the knowledge and skills relating to language change gained in SEL1032 (Language Variation and Change);
• To enhance students’ knowledge of 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.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module is taught in two lectures and one seminar per week. The lectures provide a chronological survey of English, examining the major features of Old English, Middle English, and Early and Late Modern English. They also explore special topics such as standard languages, variation and language contact, with examples drawn from Scots, Irish and American as well as English varieties. The seminars examine the language in action by focusing on reading and analysis of texts which range across the centuries and across genre, from chronicle to letters and recipes to poetry. Two seminars take the form of visits (one to historic sites in Northumbria, the other to examine manuscripts and early printed books) which focus on language in particular historic and cultural contexts.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Category	Activity	Number	Length	Student Hours	Comment
Guided Independent Study	Assessment preparation and completion	1	50:00	50:00	N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Lecture	24	1:00	24:00	N/A
Guided Independent Study	Directed research and reading	1	53:00	53:00	N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Small group teaching	9	1:00	9:00	N/A
Guided Independent Study	Skills practice	1	10:00	10:00	N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Fieldwork	1	8:00	8:00	N/A
Guided Independent Study	Student-led group activity	1	20:00	20:00	inc. 10 hours directed groupwork
Guided Independent Study	Independent study	1	26:00	26:00	N/A
Total				200:00

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will be used to 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.

Seminars will focus on detailed textual work of various types. They also aim to enhance understanding of approaches to historical texts from a linguistic perspective, and to practise and improve oral presentation skills.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams

Description	Length	Semester	When Set	Percentage	Comment
Written Examination	90	2	A	50	N/A

Other Assessment

Description	Semester	When Set	Percentage	Comment
Essay	2	M	35	1500 words
Prof skill assessmnt	2	M	15	This will either take the form of a collaborative oral presentation or an individual poster presentation

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The examination focuses mainly on close analysis of texts, informed by background knowledge; it also provides a chance to synthesise data and ideas in a short discursive essay. The submitted essay enables students to apply their knowledge more broadly, to investigate a chosen topic and to develop their written expression. The presentation assignment arises from the essay. It assesses the student’s ability to synthesize information concisely and present it coherently in oral/written form.

Reading Lists

SEL2212's Reading List

Timetable

Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
SEL2212's Timetable

Module