English 315, Historical and Modern Linguistics

REVISED SYLLABUS

Greenville College
Spring 2006
MWF, 1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m., Hogue 308

Dr. Donna J. Hart
225 Hogue Hall
Phone: Office: 664-6805; Home: 664-3863
Office Hours: MWF, 2:30 - 4:30; No office hours on Tuesday or Thursday.
Email: donna.hart@greenville.edu

Thanks to the following websites for these pictures:

• Futhark: http://www.timelessmyths.com
• Beowulf page: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/images/Beowulfpage.jpeg
• Medieval manuscript: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/rbm/
• Dictionary: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/adopt-a-book/johnson.htm
• Computer code: http://www.imprestechnology.com/17909.html
• Ebonics: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4725/918/1600/Ebonics.gif
• Communication satellite: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/space-electronics-03e.html

Course Description:

This course is about language, particularly the effective use of language. We will look at what has happened to the English language since its inception, both historically and culturally. We will look at a variety of linguistic models. We will think about your use of language. And we will think about language as power—social, political, economic power. Underlying all of this exploration will be such questions as, how language works and whether there are “right” ways and “wrong” ways of using it. Finally, we will explore stylistic and mechanical means of using language effectively.

Required Texts:

Baugh, Albert C., and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language. 5th Edition. London: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0-415-28099-0.

Cable, Thomas. A Companion to Baugh and Cable's History of the English Language. 3rd Edition. London: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0-415-29894-6.

Parker, Frank, and Kathryn Riley. Grammar for Grammarians. Chicago: Parlay Press, 2005. ISBN: 0-976-71801-4.

Course Objectives and Assessments:

The Student Will—

1. State briefly but accurately, and in their own words, the historical events and cultural relationships that have led to modern English.
2. Name and describe/define salient concepts of various linguistic models--prescriptive, descriptive, transformation-generative, and performance models.
3. Analyze English sentences and composition using these models.
4. Understand various elements of style (clarity, coherence, conciseness, mechanical correctness, etc.) and implement these elements in their own writing.
5. Define and understand the role of various language components (graphemes, phonemes, morphemes, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics) in the evolution of the English language, in spelling, grammar, and in composition.
6. Understand cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity and recognize the positive contributions of diversity.
7. Understand what "good" grammar and appropriate sentence construction is in both oral and written communication.
8. Understand the similarities and differences between oral and written "texts."
9. Give oral presentations to share results of their own language research with the rest of the class and to enhance their own language growth.

Assessment Activities:

• Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 5 are assessed informally through class discussion and formally through three written tests, part objective and part essay.
• Objectives 4, 7, and 8 are assessed through class discussion and workshopping with study sheets and samples of freshman, ESL, and their own papers which they edit and for which they explain their editing choices.
• Objectives 6 and 9 are assessed through the students’ actual oral presentations at the end of the semester.

Tentative Class Activities and Assignments:

Week One--(January 23)

M- Introduction to the class/class requirements. Work with International Phonetic Alphabet.
W - Discuss Baugh, Chapter 1.
F – Assigned exercises in Cable, Chapter 1.

Week Two--(January 30)

M – Discuss Baugh, Chapter 2.
W – Assigned exercises in Cable, Chapter 2.
F – Continue with Cable.

Week Three--(February 6)

M – Discuss Baugh, Chapter 3.
W – Assigned exercises in Cable, Chapter 3.
F – Continue with Cable.

Week Four--(February 13)

M – Continue working with Old English. SWITCH GEARS! BACKTRACK TO DO GRAMMAR.
W – Read and discuss Chapters 5 and 6 of Parker and Riley's Grammar for Grammarians.
F – Guest speaker, Matt Browning.

Week Five--(February 20)

M – Finish attention to PR, Chs. 5-6. Do some related exercises from the chapters. Begin Chapter 8.
W – Discuss PR, Chapter 8. Selected exercises.
F – Discuss PR, Chapters 7 and 9. Selected exercises.

Week Six--(February 27)

M – Finish discussion of Chapter 9. DIAGRAMMING.
W – Discuss PR, Chapter 10, focusing on "that" clauses and interrogative clauses.
F – Discuss PR. Chapter 10, focusing on infinitives.

Week Seven--(March 6)

M - Discuss PR, Chapter 10, focusing on gerunds.
W – DIAGRAMMING AND REVIEW.
F – TEST OVER PARKER AND RILEY, CHAPTERS 4 - 10. Your etymology paper is due before you go home for Break.

Spring Break, March 11 - 19.

Week Eight--(March 20)

M – RETURN TO BAUGH AND CABLE. Review Chapters 1 - 3, finish discussing assigned workbook exercises in Cable, Chapter 3.
W – Workbook exercises from Chapter 3.
F – Finish assigned workbook exercises in Chapter 3.

Week Nine--(March 27)

M – TEST OVER BAUGH AND CABLE, CHAPTERS 1 - 3.
W – Discuss BC, Chapter 4.
F – Discuss BC, Chapter 5.

Week Ten--(April 3)

M – Discuss BC, Chapter 6.
W – Discuss BC, Chapter 7. Assigned exercises in Cable, Chapter 7.
F – Selected exercises in Cable, Chapter 7.

Week Eleven--(April 10)

M – Discuss BC, Chapter 8.
W – Assigned exercises in Cable, Chapter 8.
F – Good Friday. No class this day.

Easter Break, April 14 - 17.

Week Twelve--(April 17)

M - Travel Day. No Class this day.
W - TEST OVER BAUGH AND CABLE, CHAPTERS 4 - 8.
F - Discuss PR, Chapters 16 and 17.

Week Thirteen--(April 24)

M – Discuss PR, Chapters 16 and 17, and do some practical exercises.
W - Oral presentations.
F - Oral presentations.

Week Fourteen--(May 1)

M – Oral presentations.
W – Oral presentations.
F – No formal class. Final exams begin.

Week Fifteen--(May 8)

Final Exams.