English 450:

History of the English Language

Dr. Gavin Richardson

MWF 11:00-11:50 PAC A-9

Office: A-17; Office Phone: 661-5317

Office Hours: MWF 12:00-1:00 and by appt.

E-mail: grichard@uu.edu

Pre-Requisites: English 111, 112, 201, 202

Homepage: http://www.uu.edu/personal/grichard/

Required Texts:

Millward, C. M.  A Biography of the English

            Language.  Current ed. New York:

            Thomson/Heinle.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

his course will follow the complex story of English from its Germanic origins through its vast multi-national borrowing down to its present-day morphology, phonology, lexicon, and syntax, always examining how language affects and is affected by cultural difference even as it forges new identities.  More fundamentally, we will discover the linguistic principles which govern how sounds are produced and how language is structured.  This course will interest any student of history and will benefit English literature students who currently struggle to comprehend works written in earlier periods.  Learning about linguistic structure will complement interest in foreign languages. This course will be of particular interest to education majors, assisting them in identifying why students often make the speech and writing errors they do.  As classrooms become more and more diverse, a basic understanding of linguistics can facilitate communication between teacher and nonnative speakers, equipping instructors with a better understanding of how difficult acquiring a facility in the English language can be.  Finally, just as artists’ media are central to their art, this course will make students more informed and expert writers, speakers, and teachers. 

EVALUATION:

Exam 1......................................................................................15%

Exam 2......................................................................................15%

Exam 3......................................................................................20%

Exam 4 (Final)...........................................................................20%

Paper.........................................................................................20%

Daily work, memorization, participation..................................10%

The grading scale for this course is detailed in the Union University Undergraduate Catalogue, (A 95-100; B 85-94; C 75-84; D 65-74; F 64 and below).  All assignments are due at the beginning of class, unless otherwise noted.  Late assignments are penalized 1/3 letter for each school (not class) day late.  You are responsible for getting me your papers regardless of unfavorable circumstances such as computer glitches.  All work must be submitted in order to pass the course.  Notify me if accommodations need to be made for disabilities of any kind.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Plagiarism can be broadly defined as using the ideas or words of others in your paper without proper acknowledgment. Using information from other term papers, websites, or even standard research tools without source citation is a serious breach of academic integrity, and ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is no excuse. When in doubt, please consult your instructor about the appropriate use of quotation marks, paraphrase, and parenthetical citation. Flagrant acts of plagiarism (e.g., downloading all or portions of a paper from the Internet without proper citation, handing in the work of another as your own, repeated instances of plagiarism, etc.) shall result in a failing grade for the course and possible further disciplinary action taken by the University. Punishment for other forms of plagiarism may range from failing the assignment to failing the course. Union University “upholds the highest standards of honesty” (2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalogue 22), and the English department’s policy regarding plagiarism is an attempt to preserve these standards.

ATTENDANCE:

You may not earn an A with more than 2 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a B with more than 4 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a C with more than 6 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a D with more than 8 unexcused absences.

If you are absent while representing Union in an official capacity, you may have this absence excused with a written statement from an appropriate authority.  If you are absent due to illness, I will excuse the absence provided that a physician or nurse provides a statement saying that you were too ill to attend class.  Even excessive excused absences may prevent you from fulfilling basic requirements of this course, so please stay healthy! 

HOMEWORK:

On most class days you will have a homework assignment from a workbook packet I am assembling. On occasion I will ask to see your responses, which will be graded on an NC, √, and √+ basis. I am not really invested in whether you answer all questions correctly; I do want to make sure you are doing the work and demonstrating effort. These assignments will factor into your participation grade and will constitute an important learning element in this course. If you are absent on the day I take up these questions, you may hand in a late assignment only if your absence is excused.

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE:

This class is a “No Cell Phone Zone.” Please turn off all cell phones.  If you must have your phone on, please set it to buzz/vibrate.  Neither cell phones nor digital media players should be used in any way during class.  Desks must be completely cleared for exams—including snacks and drinks.  See me about the use of BlackBerry devices and laptops.

EMAIL:

I often use email to communicate information regarding this course to the class at large, and I email the class via a Webadvisor option that allows me to send a note to all student accounts at once. You should regularly check your student email account, or you should make sure that all Union email is forwarded to an account you do check (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.). See computing services on how to forward email.

MISCELLANY:

As per a departmental requirement, I keep all exams and papers for one year. You should also keep a copy of all out-of-class work in case I lose anything. This syllabus and first-day handout may be revised as necessary. I encourage you to call me in my office or at home (668-4888; 8:00 am-10:00 pm, please) if you need anything. If you have any concerns about this course, don’t wait until the last minute to voice them—talk to me while we can take steps to make this course a positive experience for you. My office, A-17, is located in PAC in the glassed-in Humanities Vestibule near the art gallery and wellness center, across from the language lab. Once you enter the humanities area my office is down the second corridor to the left, the last office on the left.

English 450:

History of the English Language

All reading is from Millward unless noted.