ENG 391 - Language, Society, and Power

3 credits
In brief, we will be exploring how English, in less than two thousand years, developed from an obscure Germanic dialect of Northern Europe spoken by a few thousand people to a world language spoken and used daily by hundreds of millions. As we do so, we will read accompanying essays illustrating how its dramatic effects reflect the collision and intermingling of cultures in conquest, trade, and migration. Thus, it is my goal not only to teach you about the physical changes of what has come to be known as “English”, but also about the linguistic and social consequences of the contact of peoples of all different cultures, and about patterns of change that apply to all languages.
When Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): ENG 151