1

ENGL 301: History of the English Language

Fall 2014
Instructor:
Location:
Times:
Email:
Office Hours:

Amanda Sladek
Wescoe 1003
Mon/Wed 2:30-3:45
asladek@ku.edu
Tues/Wed 12:30-2, Wescoe 2023

Course Description
Have you ever wondered why we dont pronounce the k in knife or knight? Or why the words
beat and beet are pronounced the same, but spelled differently? Why we dont have a generally
accepted plural form of you? Why in the world would someone in the 13th century have referred
to a carrot as meat, and how did the meaning of this word change? These and other seemingly
arbitrary features you may or may not have encountered in the English language can be answered
by examining the history and development of the language.
ENGL 301, History of the English Language, covers the origins and development of the English
language over the last 1500 years, as well as looking into the future. You will not be required to
remember massive amounts of historical and linguistic detail (1500 years is a lot to cover in one
semester!); rather, this course is intended to give you a general overview of the origins and
development of the English language, and how English evolved from He sde t Normanna land
wre swye lang and swye sml to I cant even. Our investigations will be guided by the
following questions:
What are the underlying causes of language change? How is it driven by/connected to
social, political, and historical forces and attitudes?
How can we use our knowledge of English language history and the process of language
change to explain features found in modern English usage?
What, exactly, does it mean to study the history of English? How can studying the history of
English benefit you in your future studies, career, and life?

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 2

Course Goals
To familiarize you with the major time periods of English language development (Old,
Middle, and Modern English) as well as the problems inherent in this classification system
To help you understand the causes and effects of language change from Old English through
today and the future, including social and political implications
To give you the vocabulary and resources to identify and analyze various linguistic features
and discuss variation (regional, temporal, etc.) in language use
To introduce you to the study of the history of English, including the overarching aims of the
discipline

Required Text
Gramley, Stephan. The History of English: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2012.
**supplemental readings will be posted to Blackboardconsult schedule for complete list**

Written Work
Take-Home Exams: Each unit will include a take-home exam. These will be due via Blackboard at
11:59 pm on their due dates unless otherwise indicated. You may use your book and class
notes/handouts in completing the exams, but please do not consult outside materials or classmates.
These exams consist of two parts, which will be equally weighted:
Text Analysis: This section will ask you to apply some of the spelling, pronunciation,
vocabulary, and grammatical principles we learned in the unit to a text from the time
period.
Essay Questions: This section will consist of 2-3 essay questions that will ask you to think
critically about the content of the unit (discussing the social reasons behind certain
linguistic changes, analyzing course readings, comparing linguistic features of the time
period to Modern English, etc.).
Final Presentation on Global Englishes: During our final exam slot, you and a partner will give an
8-10 minute presentation on English usage in a specific country (other than the US, UK, or Canada).
You and your partner will be responsible for teaching the class about the historical development of
English in this country, the social forces shaping its development, and some of the distinctive
linguistic features of this variety of English (and how it differs from American English). Ch. 11-13 of
Gramleys text will be helpful, though you will be required to incorporate outside research as well. I
will give you more specific information later in the semester.
Discussion Board Postings: Before each class (except on the days a take-home exam is due), you
will be required to post a brief (one paragraph or so) response to the reading to the discussion
board on Blackboard. This can be something you found interesting, something you found confusing,
a question you have about the reading, or anything else related to the unit/course. As I will try to
address some of these issues in class, these posts are due by 10 am on their due dates. Occasionally,
I may have a specific question I would like you to address in your discussion board poststhese
will be announced during the previous class and posted to the discussion board.

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 3

In-Class Activities: The writing and other activities we do in class will vary widely and may
include activities such as analyzing course readings, applying the linguistic principles we learn to
texts from the time period, and reflecting on how the material were reading relates to your own
language usage. These activities will build on and reinforce the skills and knowledge needed to
successfully complete the take-home exams and final presentation, so taking them seriously will
likely improve your grades on these as well. These writings and activities will be graded with credit
for having them completed successfully (checkmarks) rather than with letter grades unless
otherwise specified. I do not accept make-up work for in-class activities.

Grading
Grade Breakdown:

Take-Home Exam 1:
Take-Home Exam 2:
Take-Home Exam 3:
Take-Home Exam 4:
Final Presentation:
Discussion Board:
In-Class Activities:

15%
15%
15%
15%
20%
10%
10%

Grade Calculation: In this course we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of
A and a minimum of F. The following scale will be used for calculating individual assignment grades
and the final course grade: A+ (99-100%), A (93%98%), A (90%92%), B+ (88%89%), B
(82%87%), B (80%81%), C+ (78%79%), C (72%77%), C (70%71%), D+ (69%68%), D
(62%67%), D (60%61%), F (59% and below).
You can access your grades at any time using the My Grades feature on Blackboard. If you have
any questions or are concerned about your grade at any point, please talk to me.
Policies and Expectations
Late Work: It is important to complete the assigned work on time in order to gain the fullest
benefits from doing the work. This is especially true for the daily work that helps you prepare or
make use of material for each class period. I will not accept late work for daily discussion board
posts and I do not give make-up work for in-class activities (excepting religious holidays and
University-sanctioned events). Unless we have made arrangements in advance, I will grade down a
late take-home exam by one-third of a letter grade for each day it is late, including weekends (for
example, an exam earning a B will become a B- if one day late, a C+ if two days late, and so on).
Check your schedule for potential conflicts well ahead of due dates, and speak with me ahead of
time if you will have trouble meeting a deadline, as I may be able to grant an extension. I do not give
extensions retroactively.

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 4

Attendance: What we do in class is important for meeting the goals I listed above, and our class
sessions will depend on your participation in some activities. Therefore, good attendance is
expected. To attend a class well means not only being physically present but also being prepared
having read the assignment well enough to be able to talk about it and having completed any
preparatory workand participating in whatever activity class entails. Since in-class participation
accounts for 10% of your final grade, your grade will suffer from any absences by missing in-class
work.
That being said, I will not formally take attendance in this course. Yet, because we will be covering
quite a lot of material in a short amount of time, regular attendance is strongly encouraged. The inclass discussion and activities will greatly benefit you in terms of understanding and being able to
apply the material. If you miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to get notes from a
classmate. If you find yourself consistently unable to come to class on time and prepared, please
come talk to me.
Office Hours and Email: My office hours are listed at the top of the syllabus. I strongly encourage
you to take advantage of them to discuss any issues or questions you may have related to the
course. If you cannot come to my posted office hours, we can set up an appointment to meet at a
time that works with your schedule. If you just have a quick question, email is the best way to reach
me. I will respond to your email as quickly as possible, usually within 24 hours.
Technology: Because so much of this class depends on discussion and collaboration, cell phones
are not tolerated in class unless we have made previous arrangements. These devices are
distracting to me and to other students. Please put them on silent and leave them in your pocket or
bag. Laptops and tablets are allowed for educational purposes only. If I suspect you are using them
for other purposes, I reserve the right to ban them from my classroom.
Academic Honesty: I take academic honesty seriously, and plagiarism in any form will not be
tolerated in this course. Some specific examples of actions that constitute plagiarism include
pasting together uncredited information or ideas from the Internet or published sources,
submitting an entire paper written by someone else, submitting a paper written for another class
(and thus not original work), and copying another students work (even with the students
permission). In order to avoid unintentional plagiarism and to represent your work honestly, you
will need to be meticulous about giving credit to any and all sources, whether directly quoted (even
a few words) or paraphrased.
Because one of the goals of this course is to help you understand and write about the course
material, plagiarism hurts you as much as it does anyone. If you plagiarize anothers work, you will
not be receiving the needed feedback to improve your writing or your understanding of course
material. There will be a zero tolerance policy for any type of plagiarism in this class. All incidents
of plagiarism will be penalized, reported, and kept on file in the English Department, the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University Provosts Office.

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 5

Policy on Student Academic Creations: Instructor use of student-authored work is subject to the
Universitys Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. If
your instructor desires to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or
future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use.
Writing Center: For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing
Center. At the Writing Center you can talk about your writing with trained tutors or consult
reference materials in a comfortable working environment. You may ask for feedback on your
papers, advice and tips on writing (for all your courses), or for guidance on special writing
tasks. Please check the website at http://www.writing.ku.edu/students/ for current locations and
hours. The Writing Center welcomes both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for
their services. For more information, please call (785) 864-2399 or send an e-mail to
<writing@ku.edu>. The website is loaded with helpful information about writing of all sorts, and
can be beneficial even if you consider yourself a good writer.
Accessibility Policy: The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates
accommodations and services for all KU students who are eligible. If you have a disability for which
you wish to request accommodations and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as
possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is 785-864-2620.
Information about their services can be found at http://disability.ku.edu. Please contact me
privately in regard to your needs in this course.
Drop/Add: Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after August 29
without departmental permission. The last day to add classes with permission is September 22.
The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any
student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester.
Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the
student should contact the instructor or the English Department, 785-864-4520, immediately.
If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with
me so that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course. If you
decide to drop this class, please refer to the following website:
http://www.registrar.ku.edu/current/schedule.shtml. From September 15, you will be assigned a
grade of W. You may not drop or withdraw after November 19.

Be sure to read Composition and Literature thoroughly for all other departmental policies.

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 6

Schedule of Goals and Major Assignments

This schedule is tentative. Since I want to adjust the course as I discover your goals, I reserve the
right to change this schedule with oral notice in class. If you anticipate a problem with due dates,
please speak with me. Page numbers refer to Gramleys The History of English unless otherwise
indicated. BB stands for Blackboard. Discussion board posts are due at 10 am and other
assignments are due at the beginning of class unless otherwise indicated. Homework and in-class
activities may be added and will be announced in class.
**Note: Many of these readings are heavy on linguistic and historical detail. Dont panic if you dont
absorb or understand everything, especially on the first go-through. Im looking for you to know the
major concepts and overarching themes of the readings. Do your best and we will go over the
details in class.**

DATE

AGENDA

DUE TODAY
////

Mon, Sep 1
Wed, Sep 3

Introduction to CourseWhat does it

mean to study the history of English?
Part 1: Mastering the Fundamentals
What is language change and why does
it happen?
Labor DayNo Class
Talking about Sounds and Pronunciation

Mon, Sep 8

Talking about Sentences and Grammar

Wed, Sep 10

Putting it all Together

Mon, Sep 15

Part 2: Old English

What was Happening: The Origins of
English
What was Happening: Foreign
Influences on Old English
What was Changing: Linguistic and
Grammatical Changes in the OE Period

Mon, Aug 25
Wed, Aug 27

Wed, Sep 17
Mon, Sep 22

Wed, Sep 24

What was Changing: Syntactic Changes

in the OE Period

Mon, Sep 29

Application: Working with Early OE

Texts

Wed, Oct 1

Application: Working with Later OE

Texts

Take syllabus quiz on BB // Read p. 1-8

(Gramley) // Read Algeo and Pyles (on
BB) // Discussion board post
////
Read Algeo and Pyles (on BB) // Read
and print out the BB handouts (trust
me, youll need them) // Discussion
board post
Read English Grammar (on BB) //
Discussion board post
Review readings and handouts //
Discussion board post
Take-Home Exam 1 due via BB at
11:59 pm // Read p. 11-28
Read p. 33-36, 46-52, 56-62 //
Discussion board post
Read p. 28-30, 53-56 // Read and print
out BB handouts // Discussion board
post
Read Brinton & Arnovick (on BB) //
Read and print out BB handouts //
Discussion board post
Read p. 36-38 // Read and print out
Beowulf excerpt (on BB) // Discussion
board post
Read p. 39-42 // Read and print out
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle excerpt (on BB)
// Discussion board post

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 7

Mon, Oct 7
Wed, Oct 9

Mon, Oct 13
Wed, Oct 15
Mon, Oct 20

Putting it all Together // Looking

Forward
Part 3: Middle English
What was Happening: Here Come the
French
Fall BreakNo Class
What was Happening: English Makes a
Comeback
What was Changing: Words and Sounds

Wed, Oct 22

What was Changing: Grammar and

Sentences

Mon, Oct 27

Dialects in Middle English

Wed, Oct 29

Application: ME Literary Texts

Mon, Nov 3

Application: Non-Literary ME Texts

Wed, Nov 5

Mon, Nov 17

Putting it all Together // Looking

Forward
Part 4: Modern English and Beyond
What was Happening: The Codification
of English
What was Changing: Grammar,
Vocabulary, and The Great Vowel Shift
Application: EModE Literary Texts

Wed, Nov 19

Application: Other EModE Texts

Mon, Nov 24

The Development of North American

English
Thanksgiving BreakNo Class
What was Changing: The Development
of North American Dialects
Global Englishes

Mon, Nov 10

Wed, Nov 12

Wed, Nov 26
Mon, Dec 1
Wed, Dec 3
Mon, Dec 8

Nonstandard Englishes in American

Education

Review readings and handouts //

Discussion board post
Take-Home Exam 2 due via BB at
11:59 pm // Read p. 67-74
////
Read p. 96-105, 117-118 // Discussion
board post
Read p. 74-77, 86-89, 109-112 // Read
and print out BB handouts //
Discussion board post
Read p. 77-86, 105-108 // Read and
print out BB handouts // Discussion
board post
Read p. 91-93, 118-120 // Look at
LALME maps on BB // Discussion
board post
Read p. 90-91, 112-116 // Read and
print out Canterbury Tales excerpt (on
BB) // Discussion board post
Read and print out ME letters (on BB)
// Discussion board post
Review readings and handouts //
Discussion board post
Take-Home Exam 3 due via BB at
11:59 pm // Read p. 124-132, 142-147
Read p. 132-142 // Read and print out
BB handouts // Discussion board post
Read p. 147-151 // Read and print out
Shakespeare excerpt (on BB) //
Discussion board post
Read and print out EModE witness
depositions (on BB) // Discussion
board post
Read p. 243-258 // Discussion board
post
////
Take-Home Exam 4 due via BB at
11:59 pm // Read p. 258-262, 264-274
Read p. 164-166, 169-176, 351-361 //
Discussion board post
Read NCTE, Students Right to Their
Own Language (on BB) and
Canagarajah, The Place of World
Englishes in Composition (on BB) //
Discussion board post

Sladek, HEL, Fall 2014 8

Wed, Dec 10

Mon, Dec 15-Fri,

Dec 19
Fri, Dec 19, 1:304:00 pm

Last Day of Class

Putting it all Together // The Future of
English
FinalsExtended Office Hours, No Class
Meetings
Final Presentations

Complete end-of-semester reflection

activity (on BB) // Review BB handouts
// Discussion board post
Come to my office to discuss your
presentations!
Presentation notes/visuals due via BB
at 11:59 pm