Accessibility statement

History of English I

Please note: We regret that timetabling constraints mean that this module can only be offered to first-year students.

Aims

Aims

By the end of this module, students will typically:

  • Be acquainted with the major historical developments in the history of English, and with the nature of our evidence for the history of English
  • Have developed abilities in the linguistic analysis of historical texts
  • Have an elementary knowledge of Old English as a language, and of the structure of Old English as a Germanic language
  • Have some knowledge of Middle English

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this module.

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

You will attend two hours of classes each week, and you are expected to do four additional hours of work on preparation and formative assessment each week.

Teaching programme

Term one

An introduction to the most important characteristics of the English of different periods, and some major changes in English, set within the background of the linguistic and sociolinguistic development of the English language. Practical work in vocabulary and morphology will develop your analytic skills and give you an understanding of the nature of our evidence for the history of English.

Terms two and three

The Old English language within a comparative Germanic framework, learned to a level that will permit you to read simple prose with a glossary. This part of the module will be taught in lectures and seminars and using the University VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).

Teaching materials

For the autumn term you will need ONE of:

  • Crystal, David. (2005). The Stories of English. Penguin.
  • Barber, Joan C. Beal, Philip A. Shaw  (2009) The English Language: A Historical Introduction 2nd edition (Cambridge Approaches to Linguistics) Cambridge: CUP.

The first is written for the general reader. It is easier to read, but less structured. The second is a textbook. It is less appealing as a read, but easier to see what you should be getting from it.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback

Formative assessment

You are expected to complete regular written assignments, to prepare for class discussion and for oral presentations in class, and to participate in group work. In terms 2 and 3, some of the formative assessment will use the VLE.

To help you assess your progress there is an obligatory in-class test which takes place in Week 1 of Term 2.

Summative assessment

  • Two-hour closed exam
    • Date: week 6 of the summer term
    • Weight: 90%
  • Assignments using the VLE
    • Weight: 10%

About this module