122030 VO History of English (2020W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik

Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

The lecture will be fully online. There will be weekly synchronous sessions that will also be recorded. Other material (reading, online tests, videos, etc.) will be made available as well. Some of it will have to be accessed and dealt with by set deadlines, as will be specified in the lecture and on the platform that goes with it.

Monday 05.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 12.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 19.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 09.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 16.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 23.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 30.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 07.12. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 14.12. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 11.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 18.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital
Monday 25.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

In this lecture we shall look at the different forms which English has taken over time. We shall develop and practice methods for analysing and interpreting earlier English texts, for reconstructing properties of earlier Englishes, and for describing and explaining the changes that have given Present Day English its shape. Some of the questions raised will be: why is there so little correspondence between English spelling and pronunciation? Why are there hardly any inflectional endings in Modern English? Why are not all verbs regular?
The objective of this course is (a) to raise our awareness that English, like any natural language, is a historical system that develops, changes, and maintains its properties as it is passed on among generations of speakers, (b) to learn how to approach and deal with early unfamiliar forms of English, and (c) to practice logical reasoning in linguistic reconstruction and the explanation of language change.

Assessment and permitted materials

Participants will be assessed on the basis of a written final test which will be held online or on-site, depending on circumstances. If held online, the written test may be complemented by an oral exam. There will also be online quizzes by which one can improve one's overall grade.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Achieving 60% at the final test. Should there be an oral component, one must likewise achieve 60% at it in order to earn a pass grade.

Examination topics

The course will combine the classical lecture format with a strong E-Learning component, and independent reading tasks. Reading material will be specified for each subtopic, and handouts, quizzes as well as exercises will be provided online so that students can monitor their own progress in the course of the term.

Reading list

Singh, Ishtla. 2005. The history of English. A student's guide. London: Hodder and Arnold.

Schendl, Herbert. 2001. Historical linguistics. Oxford: University Press.

Additional material will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Association in the course directory

Studium: UF 344, BA 612, EC 125, EC 126; BEd 046 / 407
Code/Modul: UF 3.3.2-203, BA05.2, BEd Modul 10
Lehrinhalt: 12-2030

Last modified: Tu 06.05.2025 00:13