Read, annotate, and gather questions on the assigned chapter BEFORE class so that you are prepared to participate!

Aug 20

Introduction, what is HOL, materials & methods. Discuss ‘thinking like a linguist.’

Aug 22

Chapter 1, “Language and the English Language: An Introduction.”

Aug 27

Chapter 2, “The Sounds of Current English.”   Submit Book Club choices.

Aug 29

Chapter 2, “The Sounds of Current English.”     

Sept 3

Chapter 3, “Letters and Sounds: A Brief History of Writing.”  Homework 1 (Transcription) due.

Sept 5

Chapter 3, “Letters and Sounds: A Brief History of Writing.”   Field trip to Winthrop Archives, Cherry Rd (across from Earth Fare). Be prompt! Map and directions. Skim Andrew Robinson's "Decoding Antiquity" if you can before you come.

Sept 10

Chapter 4, “The Backgrounds of English.”  Homework 2 (Transcription) due.

Sept 12

Chapter 4, “The Backgrounds of English.”  Grimm & Verner's Law practice exercises. Here are some more examples: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/IE_Main5_Grimm.html.

Sept 17

Test 1

Sept 19

Chapter 5, “The Old English Period.”  You might find the electronic "Introduction to Old English" (Western Michigan University) helpful.

Sept 24

Chapter 5, “The Old English Period.” Homework 3 (Article response) due. Here is the Magic Old English Cheat Sheet from UVA.

Sept 26

Chapter 5, “The Old English Period.” You may find this Quick Guide to OE Verbs helpful.

Oct 1

Chapter 6, “The Middle English Period.”  Homework 4 (Old English) due.

Oct 3

No class. Dr  K at a professional meeting.  There will be podcasts, etc. Watch this segment from "Adventures in English" for background on the vocabulary change.  (Very brief NSW bit in the middle.)

Oct 8

Chapter 6, “The Middle English Period.”  Homework 5 (Middle English) due by Wednesday Oct. 9 at 5 PM. 

Oct 10

Test 2

Oct 15

Fall Break. No classes. Since we don’t have class, I encourage you to watch “A Muse of Fire,” episode 3 of The Story of English, which is available in 7 parts on YouTube, beginning here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Zd9mXs6Uo and The Adventure of English episode 4, “This Earth, this Realm, this England” at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7303339925719040801. Great info!

Oct 17

Chapter 7, “The Early Modern Period.” We will talk about the Research Paper.

Oct 18

Course Withdrawal Deadline (Automatic N)

Oct 22

Chapter 7, “The Early Modern Period.”  Homework 6 due.

Oct 24

Chapter 8 “The Early Modern Period.”  

Oct 29

Chapter 8 “The Early Modern Period.” Homework 7 (the OED) due.

Oct 31

Chapter 9, “Late Modern English.”  Read William Labov, et al., Summary Statement on African American Vernacular English. Homework 8, Paper Prospectus, Due. Costumes highly encouraged.

Nov 5

Chapter 9, “Late Modern English.” If you are interested, you might want to read Walt Wolfram's "The Grammar of Urban African American Vernacular English."

Nov 7

Book Club Presentations on Winchester and Crystal. Homework 9 (Article Response) due.

Nov 12

Book Club Presentations on Heath.

Nov 14

Test 3 (covers chs. 7-9 and the book club presentations)

Nov 19

Skim Chapter 12, “Foreign Elements in the English Word Stock.”  Carefully read Steven Pinker's  “Language Acquisition. “

Nov 21

Chapter 11, “New Words From Old.” Homework 10 due by class time. You might enjoy this article on constructed languages such as Na'avi and Klingon. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/09/27/john-mcwhorter-ted-ed/?utm_content=buffer2c74f&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

Nov 26

Final Exam review; evaluations; carbohydrates. Bring milk. Response to Book Club Presentation due.

Dec 6

ENGL 507 Final Exam, 6:30 PM