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POLICIES
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SCHEDULE |
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10:00AM-11:30AM TR & by appt. |
Shanks 229 |
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2:00-3:15 PM TTH |
TORG 1000 |
(To Subscribe, click here and follow the instructions) This syllabus is located online at:
http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/exper/mosser/classes/hel08/4054.html
It will be updated as warranted.
Ever wonder why many of our names for governmental and judicial activities are based on French borrowings (e.g., "impeach," "judge," "treason," "court," "state")? Or why the French use words like "le weekend," "le parking," or "nonstop"? Why we contract "We are not" but not "I am not"? Why we don't say "thou" but do say "y'all"? The answers to these and other questions lie in the history of the English language and its users, from the language's Germanic roots, through its origins in England, its spread throughout the Empire, and, finally, to its present-day status as a de facto "World Language."
| Small Group Work (six, 5 points each, minus two lowest) |
20% |
| Quizzes (seven, 5 points each, minus lowest) |
30% |
| Midterm (15 points) |
15% |
| 15% |
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| 20% |
Cell phones, pagers, and all other class-disruptive devices and technologies must be silenced before class begins. If you need adaptations or accommodations because of a disability (learning disability, attention deficit disorder, psychological, physical, etc.), if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
English 4054 2008 [Revised 3/11/08] Schedule
[Please bring your textbook to each class meeting.]
Tuesday, January 15
Introduction to Course
Thursday, January 17
"The Human Language," Pt. 1 (Video 5408); Crystal, "Grammatical Mythology," pp. 190-197
Tuesday, January 22
"Brief Overview"; "case & inflections"; Crystal, pp. 198-205
Thursday, January 24
Small Group Ex. 1; Crystal, "The Sound System," pp. 236-241 (Vowels); "The Sound System," pp. 242 -247 (Consonants, Connected Speech); sounds handout
Tuesday, January 29
Small Group Ex. 2
Thursday, January 31
"Indo-European and the Pre-History of English"; Video, "In Search of the First Language" (transcript)
Tuesday, February 5
Take Quiz 1 by midnight; Crystal, pp. 6-23; "The Beginnings of English in England"
Thursday, February 7
"Outside Influences"; Crystal, pp. 24-29;
Tuesday, February 12
DVD no. 233, "Birth of a Language"; Take Quiz 2 by midnight
Thursday, February 14
OE cont.; Small Group Ex. 3
Tuesday, February 19
Crystal, pp. 30-45; "The Norman Conquest and Early Middle English"
Thursday, February 21
Crystal, pp. 46-55; "Late Middle English"; Discuss Projects
Tuesday, February 26
Take Quiz 3 by midnight; ME, cont.; Small Group Ex. 4
Thursday, February 28
Video 1110, vol. 2.1: "A Muse of Fire" (Early Modern English); Crystal, pp, 56-69; "Early Modern English"
March 1-9 Spring Break Tuesday, March 11
Crystal, pp. 70-77; 452-53 "The Evolution of English Dictionaries"; Review for Midterm
Thursday, March 13
Midterm Exam
Tuesday, March 18
Take Quiz 4 by midnight; "The Development of English Grammars"; Crystal, pp. 78-79; 366-369 [No class today; be prepared to discuss Dictionaries and Grammars on Thursday]
Thursday, March 20
Grammar & Dictionaries, cont.; DVD no. 217, "Speaking Proper"
Tuesday, March 25
"The American (English) Language"; DVD no. 217, "Speaking Proper" (left over from last week)
Wednesday, March 26
Thursday, March 27
Crystal, pp. 80-85; 92-97; 306-311; Small Group Ex. 5
Tuesday, April 1
Crystal, pp. 298-305; Crystal, pp. 312-339; Video 1795: "American Tongues" (or alternative); also due by midnight: e-mail me (
Thursday, April 3
Video: segments of DVD 323 "Do You Speak American?"; Interview with William Labov, "American Accent Undergoing Great Vowel Shift"
Tuesday, April 8
Take Quiz 7 by midnight; the "English Only Movement"; Crystal, pp. 115; video & audio recordings; NPR April 1, 2002: "Origins of 'OK'"
Thursday, April 10
Small Group Ex. 6
Tuesday, April 15
Crystal, pp. 340-363
Thursday, April 17
"World Englishes"; Crystal pp. 106-115; Interview with John McWhorter, auther of The Power of Babel
Tuesday, April 22
Projects Due; Video 1110, The Story of English, vol. 5: "The Empire Strikes Back" (not that one), a.k.a."Next Year's Words"
Thursday, April 24
Review for Final Exam
Tuesday, April 29
Last day of class
Friday, May 2, 10:05AM-12:05PM
The quizzes for this class are "Whiz Quizzes," which you will take online. The threshhold is set to 70%, meaning that no grades below that are reported and once you have achieved at least that score, whatever you achieve (70% or better) is recorded as your grade: NB: the first score that achieves 70% or higher is the one recorded. Quizzes are worth a maximum of 5 points each. Any quizzes taken after the due date will receive no higher than half credit. [back]
