This course will
introduce students to the history
of English language as it has developed and evolved in England, the United
States, and other parts of the world. We will draw from recent developments in
the study of dialects, pidgins, and creoles to consider the diversity of English, with some
attention given to the history and politics of education, writing pedagogy, and
language assessment in Hawaii. We’ll consider the impact of colonization and
globalization on the evolution of English by examining the role of world
Englishes. Finally, we will consider some possible pedagogical implications of
our readings.
Assignments:
A
midterm, a final exam and short papers written in response to required course
readings.
Required Texts (available
at UH Bookstore):
Albert C.
Baugh’s A History of the English Language,
Edgar Schneider’s Postcolonial English: Varieties Around the Worldand Lisa
Lynn Kanae’s Sista Tongue.