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Root number
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515709 |
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Semester
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FS2026 |
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Type of course
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Lecture |
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Allocation to subject
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English Languages and Literatures |
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Type of exam
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not defined |
| Title |
The Recent History of English (BA FS & MA Lecture Language and Linguistics) (UNGRADED) |
| Description |
How did the structure of English come to be as it is now? What processes led to the enormous variety of forms of the language? This course picks up from where the Earlier Englishes course finished, and brings the history of English right up to the present day. We examine the following:
- The roots of contemporary non-standard forms of English which go back deep into the historical past of the language. We critique the idea that non-standard forms are therefore simply present-day ‘errors’.
- The linguistic processes which have changed English in the past 500 years: we look at changes in phonology (e.g. vowel shifts, vowel mergers, vowel splits, chain shifts, consonantal changes, prosodic changes), morphosyntax (e.g. grammaticalisation, the emergence of do-support, changes in verbs of possession, obligation, future tense) and discourse-pragmatic change (e.g. change in quotatives, etc)
- In doing so, we demonstrate the critical role of language variation, on the one hand, and the social context, on the other.
- We also take into consideration the effects of colonisation and migration on the formation of contemporary English.
- We consider changes that are in progress today, whether these changes began in the 15th century or the 21st, to understand why English is as it is in 2026.
- The course will be useful for those who are interested in the history of English, as well as those who want to brush up their understanding of variation and change in contemporary English phonology, morphology and syntax.
Required Reading:
Will be put on ILIAS. There will be a reading each week in preparation for the lecture. |
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ILIAS-Link (Learning resource for course)
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Registrations are transmitted from CTS to ILIAS (no admission in ILIAS possible).
ILIAS
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Link to another web site
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| Lecturers |
Prof. Dr.
David Britain, Institute of English Languages and Literatures ✉
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ECTS
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3 |
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Recognition as optional course possible
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Yes |
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Grading
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passed/failed |
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| Dates |
Tuesday 10:15-12:00 Weekly
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Tuesday 12/5/2026 10:15-13:00
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| Rooms |
Hörraum F 022, Hörraumgebäude Unitobler
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Kursraum B -103, UniS
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| Students please consult the detailed view for complete information on dates, rooms and planned podcasts. |
User:
Öffentlicher Bereich
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