English 3720: Development of Modern English Spring 2011
Dr. Lisa Minnick

Western Michigan University

English 3720 meets MW 2-3:50 p.m. in 3037 Brown

Office hours: Mondays 4-5:30 p.m. and by appointment in 923 Sprau

Course description

From the catalog: English 3720 traces the development of modern English from its beginnings to the present, examining historic and linguistic influences on change in both spoken and written English. It explores theories of language development, with emphasis on their practical implications.

Learning objectives. Students who complete the course successfully will acquire the following:

• language description skills, including proficiency in the International Phonetic Alphabet.
  
  
• working knowledge of terminology used in the discipline of linguistics.
  
  
• understanding of the external (social, political, intellectual) influences on language change.
  
  
• understanding of the internal (linguistic) mechanisms of language change.
  
  
• awareness of how standard varieties are authorized and institutionalized.
  
  
• understanding of English as a global lingua franca and the implications of its influence.