ENG 295, 296 - The English Language

1 course unit

What is the nature of language? Where and when did English begin? How has our language changed, and why is it still changing? What will it sound like a thousand years from now, or will it have disappeared from the earth? Today English is the international language of commerce, government, science and journalism, but do all English users speak and write the same language? Hundreds of English dialects exist today; perhaps thousands have come and gone since our language was born in 449 A.D. Is Standard English the same in England, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and the United States? Are all nonstandard English dialects just Standard English with mistakes? Was Standard English just another dialect that happened to be in the right place (London) at the right time (1400)? To answer these and many other questions, we will examine the phonology, derivational and inflectional morphology, syntax, and semantics of Modern English. As we understand our language more deeply, we will become more powerful and more sensitive readers, writers, speakers and listeners who are better prepared to pass along our language and culture to our children.
Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 296.