MWF 9:00-9:50
In this course we will examine the nature of the English language by studying its history. We will look first at its relation to other Indo-European languages and then trace the development of its major features (its sounds, syntax, and vocabulary) from the earliest written records to the present.
To approach English in this way, we will need to understand some of the basic tools and methods of linguistics. Linguists attempt to study language scientifically, that is, by observing the ways it is used and making logical inferences from those observations. They do not attempt to understand the nature of language on the basis of preconceptions about what it is or should be.
In the next few weeks I think we'll discover that we've all picked up a few such preconceptions and that they probably aren't doing us much good. As graduate students of English it is particularly important to identify our own “myths” about language and be able to replace them with accurate information about linguistic change and its relation to external events. With this knowledge graduate students should be able by the end of the term to help others account for the many supposed "irregularities" of language and appreciate both its inherent flexibility and its underlying order.
To demonstrate basic mastery of the course material, graduate students will take the three "mid-term" exams and the comprehensive final. The final, which will cover the last segment of the course in detail and the rest of the course more generally, will weigh half again as much as each of the midterms in determining final grades. Additionally, to explore some aspect of the history of the language or linguistic methodology in greater depth, graduate students will also undertake an independent research project (subject to my approval) in which they will synthesize additional information with textbook materials to question and reconsider issues raised in the course. (Note especially the extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter in the text.) On the basis of this project they will each prepare a 12-15 page paper which will be weighed as equal to another midterm when calculating their final grades, and they will report their findings to the class.
Graduate students achieving the standard percentage of points available in the course (90-100%=A, etc.) will receive the corresponding letter grade. I will also attempt to find natural gaps in the grade distribution so that a difference of one or two points won't translate into a difference of a whole letter grade. I will also consider patterns of dramatic improvement when assigning final grades.
Exams do not require bluebooks. Graduate papers are to be submitted in MLA manuscript and citation format.
A student who offers a legitimate excuse for missing an exam (except the final) may make up that exam, provided he or she arranges to do so immediately on returning to class.
Graduate projects are due Monday, May 2. Any difficulties in meeting that due-date must be discussed with the instructor as soon as they are recognized.
Graduate students are expected to attend every class. If you are absent, please see me as soon as possible to arrange to make up work missed. If you find yourself impossibly behind, please be sure to withdraw yourself from the course no later than Monday, March 21, the last day to receive a W for the course instead of an F.