ENG24-25 Language Variation and Change

This course will appeal to students with an interest in the history of the English language and prospective teachers of English who want to acquire a better understanding of how English has changed and developed over the course of time and why.

The course will provide students with:

• a historical perspective on English that will enable them to understand the idiosyncrasies of Modern English grammar, its spelling norms and sound system.
• a good grasp of how the grammatical system of earlier stages of English functioned and changed over time to become the language that it is today
• an understanding of how language contact has shaped English
• knowledge of the principles of language change

By the end of the course, students will be able to usefully apply a historical perspective to their own teaching of the English language. They will also be in an ideal position to write an MA paper that provides an indepth discussion of a linguistic development in the history of English.