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21837-01 - Lecture: The History of English (2 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Miriam Locher (miriam.locher@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Today English is the world language par excellence. But what was English like 1500 years ago? What are the roots of English? What were the characteristics of Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English? How has its grammar changed? Why and in what ways has its vocabulary expanded through the past centuries? Why is the spelling of Present-day English so strange? Why are there so many Englishes? Which are the factors that have made it possible for English to turn from a fringe language into a global lingua franca? What role has migration played in this process? These and many more questions will be addressed in the course. |
| Learning objectives | Students should be able to discuss the questions raised in the content section from the perspective of a linguist. |
| Bibliography | A reader and a selection of texts will be made available online in ADAM. |
| Comments | This course is compulsory for first year BA students of English (introductory module) and is offered in the spring. All other students are strongly encouraged to take this course once during their BA or MA in English. SuK and PhD students are especially welcome to attend. This course can be followed without any prior knowledge in diachronic linguistics and is open to other students as well. |
| Weblink | ADAM workspace |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 18.02.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 25.02.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 04.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 11.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Tuesday 18.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 25.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 01.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 08.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 15.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 22.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 29.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 06.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 13.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 20.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Tuesday 27.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced English Linguistics (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: English Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Forschungspraxis und Vertiefung (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2022)) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Modul: Interphilologie: Sprachwissenschaft MA (Master's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Modul: Introduction to English Linguistics (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Sprache und Gesellschaft (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Written exam. Details will be communicated in the first week of term. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |