SPRING 1999

ENG 520: HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

Click here for an index of names and pictures of students in this course

• Professor: Dr. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta
• Course: ENG 520, Call # 1868
• Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-4:45 PM
• Classroom: Instructional Technology Classroom, Reinert Alumni Library Building (RL), Room L02
• Course Dates: Thursday, January 14-Tuesday, May 4, 1999
• Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00AM-1:45 PM and by appointment
• Office: Hitchcock Communication Arts Building (CA) Room 304A
• Office Telephone: (402) 280-2522
• e-mail: fajardo@creighton.edu
• WWW Home Page: http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers a historical study of the English language including Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Present Day English. The course will emphasize social, political, and other external historical events influencing language change, as well as the internal history of the language. Attention will given to the various language systems (phonology, morphology, graphics, syntax, lexicon, and semantics) as well as to the literature of the different historical periods.

TEXTS

Required

• Albert C. Baugh & Thomas Cable, A History of the English Language, Fourth Edition, (Prentice Hall, 1993).
  

Recommended (on reserve at Reinert Alumni Library):

• Celia M. Millward, A Biography of the English Language
• Thomas Pyles & John Algeo, The Origins and Development of the English Language
  

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1) Project (35%).

Students will design and pursue a project (paper, videotaped documentary, web site, art work) related to any aspect of the use, form, or other features of the English language in any of its historical periods (including the present). All projects must also be presented to the class. Projects may be papers (analytical and/or research) tracing, describing, analyzing, and explaining specific features of the language and their historical foundations (MLA format required of all papers). Projects may also take the form of practical studies of or gathering and analyzing of data on current usages of the language in specific contexts (for example, Creighton Student English, slang, origins of words, peculiarities of pronunciantion, etc.). Projects addressing issues in current phonology (the sound of the language) may want to make use of audio/video recordings and may also be accompanied by a written paper. In general, students are encouraged to choose material which is interesting and stimulating and should not feel limited to traditional academic topics. Art works are acceptable provided they yield substantial insight into some aspect of the language and its historical use. Projects may be undertaken individually or by groups (group projects need to be substantial and extensive enough to justify the participation of two or more people). All projects must be approved by the instructor and should go through the following stages:

• Project Proposal/Description. Toward the middle of the term, students will submit to the instructor a 1-2 page proposal describing the project they intend to pursue. The proposal should make clear the specific object of study, the project's thesis or general purpose, the materials and methods of analysis, as well as describe the final form/format which the project will take (paper, videotape or print format, web site, documentary, interviews, etc.)
• Project Presentatation. Toward the end of the semester, each student will make a presentation to the class explaining and describing the nature and findings of her/his project. Presentations should be well developed and illustrated with audiovisual materials whenever relevant.
• Project Submission. Projects in final form must be turned in to the instructor at any time after the in-class presentation but no later than the deadline specified in the Schedule below. No late projects, revisions, or other changes will be accepted after the deadline.

2) Presentations (35%)

• Throughout the semester, students will take turns in making presentations on the topics covered in the course. Students will be responsible for reading and researching the assigned materials and presenting their findings to the class. In addition to reading the specific assignments, students are encouraged to pursue relevant library research in order to enrich their presentations. All presentations must strive to be interesting and engaging, concentrating on the clear exposition of the highlights of the material and representative illustrations, examples, and/or anecdotes. Sheer accumulation or listing of facts for their own sake should be avoided at all costs. Highly encouraged, whenever possible, is the use of audiovisual materials (pictures, slides, videotapes, audio recordings, multimedia computer presentations, etc.). All presentations will be followed by discussion and question/answer periods. Presentations should be at least 20-30 minutes in length and can take up to a maximum of one class period.

3) Other Performance (30%)

• Class participation, attendance, effort, attentiveness, preparation, responsibility, and, in general, active and constructive involvement in all aspects of the course will be graded by the instructor. Notice that any student missing more than 30% of class time may, at the discretion of the instructor, fail the course.

GRADING AND OTHER POLICIES

Deadlines: Make-ups/extensions for a missed deadline will only be given in cases of documented serious illness or other valid, non-frivolous excuse such as documented participation in official University sports or academic/service events (it will be up to the instructors to determine and decide on the acceptability of an excuse). Otherwise, students must meet all deadlines specified in the syllabus.

Student Conduct and Academic Honesty: All students in the class are expected to observe the University's guidelines on student conduct as described in Creighton University's Student Handbook (see "Code of Conduct," and especially the section on "Academic Misconduct" dealing with problems of plagiarism, cheating, etc.). Plagiarism-- the unacknowledged use of outside help and sources (books, articles, other student papers or ideas, etc.)--will result in failing the assignment and/or the entire course.

Grading: Grading: All aspects of the course will be graded on a 0-100 point scale where 90-100 = A, 87-89 = B+, 80-86 = B, 77-79 = C+, 70-76 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F. The course grade will be calculated according to the following formula:

COURSE SCHEDULE

Thu Jan 14

• Introduction
  

Tue Jan 19

• Presentation: English Present and Future (Baugh/Cable Ch. 1, see also Introductions in Millward and Pyles/Algeo)

PRESENTERS: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Thu Jan 21

• Presentation: The Phonology of English (Millward and Pyles)

PRESENTERS: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Tue Jan 26

• Presentation: Writing and Writing Systems (Millward and Pyles)

PRESENTERS: Lorna Perez & Joe DeGeorge

Thu Jan 28

• Presentation: Language Families of the World and the Place of English (Millward and Pyles)

PRESENTERS: Ryan Syrek & Gregory Nipper

Tue Feb 02

• Presentation: The Indo-European Family of Languages (Baugh/Cable Ch. 2)

PRESENTER: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Thu Feb 04

• Presentation: From Indo-European to Germanic Languages (Millward)

PRESENTER: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta

Tue Feb 09

• Presentation: Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Origins and History (Baugh/Cable Ch. 3: Sections 29--38)

PRESENTERS: Kevin Lutz & Carlos Gonzalez

Thu Feb 11

• Presentation: Old English Language: General Characteristics, Nouns, Gender, Adjectives, Articles, Pronouns (Baugh/Cable Ch. 3: Sections 40-45, see also Millward and Pyles/Algeo)

PRESENTERS: Taryn Haslam & David Garcia-Prats

Tue Feb 16

• Presentation: Old English Language: Verbs, Vocabulary, Syntax, etc. (Baugh/Cable Ch. 3: Sections 45, 48-51, see also Millward and Pyles/Algeo)

PRESENTERS: Tanya Starman & Dawn Moser

Thu Feb 18

• Presentation: Old English Dialects, Literature, and Illustrations of the Language (Baugh/Cable Ch. 3: Sections 39, 47, 52, and other sources)

PRESENTERS: Dora Devai & Kelly Broman

Tue Feb 23

• Presentation: The Norman Conquest and the Subjection of English, 1066-1200 (Baugh/Cable, Ch. 5)

PRESENTERS: Lorna Perez & Joe DeGeorge

Thu Feb 25

• Presentation: The Reestablishment of English, 1200-1500 (Baugh/Cable Ch. 6: Sections 93-109)

PRESENTERS: Ryan Syrek & Gregory Nipper

Tue Mar 02

• Presentation: Middle English (Baugh/Cable, Ch. 7: Sections 111-123, 146-150). PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE.

PRESENTERS: Kevin Lutz & Carlos Gonzalez

Thu Mar 04

• Presentation: Middle English Dialects, Literature, and Illustrations of the Language (Baugh/Cable, Ch. 6: Section 110 and other sources; Ch. 7: Sections 111-123, 146-150 and other sources)

PRESENTERS: Taryn Haslam & David Garcia-Prats

Tue Mar 09

• SPRING BREAK
  

Thu Mar 11

• SPRING BREAK
  

Tue Mar 16

• Presentation: The Renaissance, 1500-1650, (Baugh/Cable, Ch 8: Sections 152-160, 167-172). Additional Sources: Early Modern English (Millward Ch. 7)

PRESENTERS: Tanya Starman & Dawn Moser

Thu Mar 18

• Presentation: The Renaissance, 1500-1650, (Baugh/Cable, Ch 8: Sections 173-185). Additional Sources: Early Modern English (Millward Ch. 7)

PRESENTERS: Dora Devai & Kelly Broman

Tue Mar 23

• Presentation: The Appeal to Authority, 1650-1800 (Baugh/Cable, Ch 9: Sections 186-197)

PRESENTERS: Lorna Perez and Joe DeGeorge

Thu Mar 25

• Presentation: The Appeal to Authority, 1650-1800 (Baugh/Cable, Ch 9: Sections 198-210)

PRESENTERS: Ryan Syrek & Gregory Nipper

Tue Mar 30

• Screening of My Fair Lady (Part I). Bring popcorn, etc. Notice that class may go over time on this day (by about fifteen minutes).

Thu Apr 01

• Screening of My Fair Lady (Part II). Bring popcorn, etc. Notice that class may go over time on this day (by about fifteen minutes).

Tue Apr 06

• Presentation: The Nineteenth Century and After (Baugh/Cable, Ch 10: Sections 211-226)

PRESENTERS: Kevin Lutz & Carlos Gonzalez

Thu Apr 08

• Presentation: The Nineteenth Century and After (Baugh/Cable, Ch 10: Sections 227-237)

PRESENTERS: Taryn Haslam & David Garcia-Prats

Tue Apr 13

• Presentation: The English Language in America (Baugh/Cable, Ch 11: Sections 238-249)

PRESENTERS: Tanya Starman & Dawn Moser

Thu Apr 15

• Presentation: The English Language in America (Baugh/Cable, Ch 11: Sections 250-256)

PRESENTERS: Dora Devai & Kelly Broman

Tue Apr 20

• STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS:
  • Kevin Lutz, "Socio-Economic Influences on the English Language in America"
  • David Garcia-Prats, "History of the Garcia-Prats Language"
    

Thu Apr 22

• STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
  • Dora Devai, "Problems of Hungarian Learners of English"
  • Carlos Gonzalez, "Influence of Archaic Spanish on the English of San Luis, Colorado"
  • Kelly Broman, "The History of the Lord's Prayer: A Manuscript"
    

Tue Apr 27

• STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
  • Dawn Moser, "Regional and Dialectal Differences in American English"
  • Taryn Haslam, "Gender Specific Communication: Is There Really a Difference?"
  • Lorna Perez, "Language, Culture, and Politics: California's Recent Anti-Minority Legislation"

Thu Apr 29

• STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS:
  • Joe DeGeorge, "Psycholinguistics: The Effects of Intonational Phrasing on Lexical Interpretation"
  • Gregory Nipper, "The Language of Finnegan's Wake"
  • Ryan Syrek, "The Dictionary of Chasing Amy"
  • Tanya Starman, "Swear Words"
• Conclusion. Evaluations (bring a #2 pencil).

Tue May 04

• Projects due in instructor's office or mailbox by 12:00 noon.