English linguistics LM - PARTE II (2014/2015)

Learning outcomes

The module aims at introducing the students to the diacronic development of the English language.

Starting from an overview of the main periods of English and the major structural developments this language has undergone through the centuries, the module will move to the exploration of the notion of ‘proper pronunciation’ of British English and its social implications, with special regard to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century concerns with correctness and purism.

Bibliography:
Albert C. Baugh and Thomas Cable, A History of the English Language, London and New York, Routledge, 2012, sixth edition.
Required supplementary readings for non-attending students:
Lynda Mugglestone,‘Talking Proper’: The Rise of Accent as Social Symbol, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.

Teaching method:
Class lectures in English.

Final exam:
The exam will consist in an oral discussion in English of the module’s topics.