The Story of English
In the first week of the course, we explore the continental origins of English in the fifth century, the language of Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon poetry and prose of the seventh century, the origins of place names and personal names, and the transcription of runes. We investigate the impact of historical events, such as the Norman conquest, on the English language. Participants learn the basics of linguistic analysis that will enable them to recognize the sound, meaning, and structure of Old English and Middle English.
The second week traces key moments and characters in the story of early modern English: William Caxton and the invention of the printing press; Shakespeare, early English dictionaries, and the King James Bible; and the emergence of new varieties of English in North America and beyond. The class will visit the Oxford English Dictionary, gaining an insight into the method and practice of the world's largest research project and most famous dictionary. Using original manuscripts held in the Bodleian Library, participants will have fun observing the differences in scribal culture and English handwriting throughout the centuries, learning to distinguish the hand of John Keats, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, Jane Austen, and Walt Whitman.
The third week covers the stories of different Englishes around the world, tracking the evolution of new language varieties that emerged as a consequence of exploration, colonization, and globalization. English is now the fastest growing language in the world, but the majority of English speakers live outside the United States and the UK, and speak varieties of English that are neither American nor British and are quite different from each other. We will explore these differences and, having gained insights into the development of English from weeks one and two, attempt in week three to predict the direction of English in the future. Will it remain the international language or will Arabic, Chinese, or Spanish replace its global status?
Course requirements
Students are required to write one paper of 1,500 to 2,000 words, and to deliver one short oral presentation.
Tutor biography
Sarah Ogilvie, Trinity College, University of Oxford.
Field trips
Visits to the Bodleian Library and an insider's tour of the locations where the Oxford English Dictionary was created.
Reading list
Required reading
Bragg, Melvyn. The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language
Arcade Publishing Inc., 2000.
Crystal, David. The Stories of English. Penguin, 2005.
Mugglestone, Lynda, ed. The Oxford History of English. Oxford University Press, 2006.
Credit and Enrollment Information
X101 (3 semester units in Linguistics)
(EDP 284208)