29822 - History of the English Language (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with an expert knowledge of the socio-cultural and historical-political factors which have contributed to the changes that the English language has undergone over time and is still undergoing, with special focus on English as a Global Language. The students are introduced to the most influential contemporary theories regarding complex issues such as language spread, shift, death, and language planning and policies, as well as the debate between prescriptivism and non-prescriptivism. They are expected to be able to identify diachronic, diatopic and diastratic variation and the linguistic and cultural features of standard and non-standard and native and non-native Englishes, including indigeneous varieties of New Englishes and EIL/ELF. Moreover, they are given the opportunity to develop their research competence and presentation skills, either orally or in written form. Language classes aim at improving students' linguistic competence; over the two year period students' knowledge of English should reach the level C2 according to the European framework in all four abilities. These classes will work in connection with the lectures to improve students' writing skills in particular.

Course contents

The course aims to sensitize the students to current issues concerning English as a global lingua franca by taking a close look at the Colonialism which gave rise to this phenomenon and the consequences this has had, and continues to have, on the language itself, but also on its speakers, be they native or non-native. Contemporaneously, it underlines the inextricable connection between language, ideology and culture. The activities in English, including language classes for all the courses, but also the metalinguistic approach adopted, will also help the students improve their own knowledge and use of English, as will the language classes which are linked specifically to the official course and aim at the students achieving full proficiency.

The course aims to promote students' awareness of the English language, (or, better, of ‘New' Englishes', as they are now called) in a global, post-colonial context. It deals with the multiple varieties that the rapid expansion of English has created, and the consequent diversification into new categories typically defined as ‘non-standard' (vs ‘standard), including EIL, English as an International Language, or ELF, English as Lingua Franca. The linguistic – but at the same time clearly socio-cultural and thus political – debate that rages around such classifications is discussed in depth. Moreover, the repercussions of these varieties on the teaching of English as second and Foreign Language are gone into. Is it possible to teach EIL, English as International Language, rather than typically standards-dominated EFL or ESL? What are the pros and cons of even trying to do so? What are the effects of rigid language standardization on the non-native speaker in terms of cultural identity? In this perspective, select current language planning policies will be examined. Is the fear behind most planning, i.e., that standard English is seriously threatened by the varieties being ‘tolerated', to be taken seriously, or dismissed as nonsense? What is the future of English? Clearly no final answers to such questions can be offered, but if the students reach the point of considering them – and considering them as serious queries – the course will have reached its most essential objective.

Readings/Bibliography

Required Reading:

For the lectures:

J. Jenkins, 3rd edition, 2014, Global Englishes: a resource book for students, London: Routledge. (entire book)

(Select further readings may be suggested during the course.)

- The required and any recommended texts/readings will be available in the library of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature; the Jenkins book can also be reserved at: ‘Feltrinelli International' in Piazza Ravegnana 1, Bologna, or, more quickly, be ordered online at amazon.co.uk or at other sites such as http://www.hoepli.it/libro/global-englishes/9780415638449.html?newed=1

 For the lectures component specially created PPT slides will be made available in the course of the semester in ‘Campus' for attenders on a distribution list. For the language component, specially created course materials will be made available in ‘Campus' and in copy shops located near the LILEC department at the beginning of the semester.

 

Teaching methods

The official course, taught wholly in English, includes: a)   lectures; b)   individual study; c)   class discussion and student presentations of approved topics. 

The language component, also in English and taught by Dr. Nigel James, comprises 36 hours of classroom work which focuses on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and places particular emphasis on: oral presentation skills, question and answer practice; writing extended essays and short research papers, as well as on the discussion of ideas presented in written work.

Pre-requisites:

As the course is exclusively in English, the minimum level of competence in all abilities that is required is C1, with reference to the Council of Europe's descriptors.

Assessment methods

Lectures component: 75% of the students' final grade: Prof. Miller

Testing methods are different for attenders and non-attenders. Both categories have the exact same possibility for getting top marks so that the choice to be one or the other is simply a question of the individual's preferences and /or needs.

A) The methods for regularly attending students of the official course lectures include:

1. a written exam on the contents of the lectures, to be done at the end of the course, offered on one date only; this has various kinds of questions, including: multiple choice, true or false, theory-theorist match-ups, and short ‘open' questions, to which the students will be asked to provide answers, AND
2. EITHER a PPT presentation to the class on a topic of the student's choice that has been approved by the professor OR a research paper of about 2,500 words on an approved topic.
   

A) The written exam for attenders aims to test the often contrasting theories, as well as the diatopic, diastratic e diaphasic variety descriptions, that have been covered in the lectures and in class presentations. Students who have been assiduous attenders and who have acquired the notions illustrated there and in the presentations made available in ‘Campus' for attenders only will inevitably do very well. Those ‘attenders' who have missed lessons but still managed to acquire most of the notions explained in the materials on line should pass with a good, if not excellent, mark, while those who have attended and studied very little will clearly be risking not passing and so should consider modifying their status to ‘non attender'.

Evaluation of student PPTs and papers will be based on various criteria, including the ability of the student to follow basic academic conventions for structuring their work (introduction, sections, conclusion and bibliography/sitography) and citing their sources properly. ‘Originality' is not an issue but it is expected that the PPT or paper will be logically coherent and demonstrate that the fundamental notions being dealt with have been suitably acquired. It is also expected that relevant supplementary material (in addition to the Jenkins text) will be found and made use, upon approval, and that the student's use of Standard Academic English will be at an appropriately high level (C2).

The written exam and paper (or PPT) are weighted equally (50-50%) into the final mark for this component of the course. Final evaluation for attenders may also take into consideration their active class participation.

B) NON-attenders: those who choose not to regularly attend the course will do:

1. a research paper of about 3,000 words on an approved topic AND
2. an oral exam on the contents of the course book.
   

The indications concerning the research paper, above, are valid for non-attenders as well. The oral exam for non-attenders will cover any of the contents of the Jenkins book and involve thoughtful if condensed discussion of notions and varieties dealt with in the Jenkins text. Students who demonstrate having studied and in particular having understood the theories, and who are also capable of comparing/contrasting and even critiquing them, will do extremely well. The less their grasp of the concepts and their significance, the poorer the mark will clearly be. Their final mark on this component of the course is also an average of two evaluations: one on the paper and one for the oral (50-50%).

Language practice component: approx.. 25% of the students' final grade: Dr. Nigel James

In addition, for attenders, but also for non-attenders, there is also a written exam for the language component of the course, which consists of an argumentative essay of approximately 500 words on a topic related to the course, to be written in no more than 90 minutes. The exam is offered once per session and must be passed before the final mark for the full course can be registered in almaesami.

Correction will apply the criteria for written skills expected at level C2 of the Common European Framework and in particular will apply detailed evaluation scales concerning: appropriacy of argumentation with reference to topic; presentation (layout, spacing, but also spelling and punctuation); structure/organization (academic conventions but also coherence/cohesion), and accurateness of Standard Academic English lexicogrammatical usage.

Two mark registration and oral dates are offered in each session. The final mark for the whole course will be calculated by multiplying the mark for the lectures component by 3, adding the mark for the language component, and dividing the sum of these by 4.

Material (dispensa) for the esercitazioni component will be made freely available (no enrolment on a distribution list needed) in Dr. James' resources for the course at https://campus.unibo.it/  (James)

Teaching tools

Lectures will make use of audio-visual aids, and in particular of PPT presentations. Materials for the language classes will be designed and made available.

Links to further information

http://www.facli.unibo.it/docenti/donnarose.miller - http://people.unibo.it/it/nigel.james

Office hours

See the website of Donna Rose Miller