120045 SE Linguistics Seminar: Language contact and bilingualism in the history of English (2008S)

Throughout its history, English has been in contact with numerous languages, many of which have left permanent traces on its structure. This seminar will investigate language contact in general and the effect of this phenomenon on the English language from medieval times to the present in particular. Though the emphasis will be on British English, other varieties of English will also be looked at, including varieties of English in the 'Outer Circle', such as African and Asian varieties. Topics will deal with lexical, grammatical and phonological influence as well as with code-switching and other aspects of bi- and multilingualism.
Assessment: Written research paper (ca. 7000 words) and its presentation in class (ca. 25 minutes); class participation; written test based on required reading at beginning of seminar.