Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

See "Learning activities " and "Syllabus".

More information will be provided on the first day of class.

5.2. Learning tasks

• Theoretical lectures.
• Practical lectures.
• Individual work.
• Personal study.
• Assessment activities.

5.3. Syllabus

(27844) Modern English

1. The Early Modern English period: characteristics.

The transition from Middle to Modern English. The New Standard.

2. Early Modern English phonology, grammar and vocabulary.

Changes in morphology. The expansion of the English vocabulary. The orthography of Early Modern English

The Great Vowel Shift, other vowels and consonants. Changes in morphology and syntax.

3. Late Modern English: Logic and prescription. Dictionaries and grammars.

 The rise of Polite usage. Purists and linguistic correction. 'Talking Proper'. 

Robert Lowth's Grammar. Dictionaries and spelling books.

4. Standard accents and others.

Images of accents. Symbols of the social divide. Educating accents.

5. Standard and non-standard grammatical variation. Genteel vs. vulgar language.

Lexical variation. Lexical varieties in Modern and Contemporary English.

6. Geographical variation in the United Kingdom.

The regional dialects of England: major divisions. English in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Compulsory Readings:

Görlach, Manfred.  (1991). Introduction to Early Modern English. Cambridge: CUP.

Pyles, Thomas & John Algeo. (2010) (6^th ed). The Origins and Development of the English language. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.

Recommended Bibliography:

Blake, Norman F. (1996). A History of the English Language. London: Macmillan Press.

Hughes, Geoffrey. (2000). A History of English Words. Oxford: Blackwell.

Lass, Roger (ed.) (2000). The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. III: 1476-1776. Cambridge: CUP.

Mugglestone, Lynda. (1995). 'Talking Proper’' The Rise of Accent as Social Symbol. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Mugglestone, Lynda (ed.) (2012). The Oxford History of English. Oxford: OUP.

Nevalainen, Terttu  and Helena Raumolin-Brunberg. (2003). Historical Sociolinguistics. London: Longman.

Romaine, Suzanne (ed.) (1992). The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. IV: 1776-present day. Cambridge: CUP.

5.4. Course planning and calendar

See the academic calendar of the University of Zaragoza (http://academico.unizar.es/calendario-academico/calendario) and the website of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts (Schedule of classes: https://fyl.unizar.es/horario-de-clases#overlay-context=horario-de-clases; Examination schedule: https://fyl.unizar.es/calendario-de-examenes#overlay-context=)

More information will be provided on the first day of class.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources