English 412 is a comprehensive survey of the development of the English
language, complete with a brief introduction to phonology, morphology,
and syntax. As it is geared towards students of education and literature,
the course comprises an introduction to the basic mechanisms of language
change and the fundamentals of grammar. With some analytical tools to
hand, we will examine the development of English from its distant roots
in Proto-Indo European up to the present day.
We meet TTh, 1:00 pm -
2:15 pm in Bartlett 219.
(Campus Map.)
Books (new or used is fine):
- Charles
Barber, The English Language: A Historical Introduction (Cambridge
UP, 1993).
- Andrew
Carstairs-McCarthy, An Introduction to English Morphology (Edinburgh
UP, 2002).
- David Crystal, Cambridge
Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2nd edition (Cambridge UP,
2003).
All books are available at Amherst
Books at 8 Main Street in downtown Amherst.
The course aims to
familiarize you with the principles of historical linguistics with
specific focus on English. There is a great deal of information
you will need to memorize. Class time is split between lecture and discussion.
We will often begin with a quiz, then discuss the readings, and finally,
turn to new topics. The course proceeds chronologically: we begin with
Proto-European languages, then narrow our focus to Proto-Germanic languages,
then to Old English, and so forth.
You are expected to complete
your readings prior to each class--the readings average 15 to
20 pages per class. If you're not going to do the reading, then this
class will be a waste of your time.
Attendence is very
strongly encouraged. Lectures and discussions provide much of the material
for which you are responsible. I will not repeat a lecture, summarize
a lecture, or provide anyone with my lecture notes. My lectures are
copyrighted material. Any use of them in written, electronic, or recorded
form without
my prior consent is illegal.
Complete
Attendance Policy here.
There is a midterm
exam, a final exam, and 10 quizzes. Graduate students
are also responsible for a research paper which engages secondary sources.
GRADING: The breakdown
of your grade is as follows:
- Midterm 15%
- Final exam 35%
- Quizzes 50% (5% each x
10)
Make-up assignments for missed quizzes HERE.
(By permission only.)
Notes:
- Papers must
be handed in at the beginning of class on the date due. Late papers
will not be accepted.
- All missed assignments
get an "F." If you foresee being absent, please let me know well
beforehand.
- Plagiarism gets
an "F." This may be for the paper or for the course, at my discretion.
Please check your student handbook and university or college guidelines
for more on plagiarism.
- All papers must
be typed or word-processed.
See "Grading
Policies" in the help section and "Papers" for
more information on how I assign grades.
Everyone is encouraged
to meet with me at least once during the semester, if only to verify that
the grades you have correspond to the ones in my gradebook. I am usually
to be found in my office Wednesdays during my office hours. (Please let
me know beforehand if you want to meet.) Otherwise, please make an appointment
to meet with me at a time convenient to you and I will try to oblige.
Each author's ideas,
words, and phrasing are his or her own. If you reproduce them without
due recognition, then you have committed plagiarism. Plagiarism earns
the harshest punishment our university can offer. If you have any question
whatsoever about whether you might be committing plagiarism, please consult
me immediately. On the whole, the university expects you to act and write
with the highest degree of integrity. For more information, consult your
handbook or the pages in this site devoted to plagiarism (see "Resources").
NOTE
1: Please make and keep a copy of all your assignments.
That copy may be a disc copy. In case any difficulties arise with respect
to misplaced assignments or with respect to discrepancies between your
records and my own, I will accept the evidence of your computer system's
dating function. For your own peace of mind, I suggest that you lock any
document on the day it is due. That will prevent your system from associating
your document with a later date.
NOTE 2: The
schedule of this course is subject to change. It is not to be construed
as a substitute for your attendance or as a catalogue of all the information
for which you are responsible. All changes will be announced beforehand.
This syllabus and the accompanying schedule constitute a binding contract
between a student and professor. If you do not agree with any of the
provisions set herein and as of this moment, then you are free to drop
this class within the time allotted by the administration.
NOTE 3: All
material pertaining to this course--namely handouts, quizzes, exams,
tests, maps, graphs, charts, printed matter, recorded matter, electronic
matter including but not limited to this syllabus and associated electronic
documents, films, video clips, conversations, office consultations,
classroom responses, lectures, asides, answers to classroom queries,
and related utterances--is copyrighted material and is subject to international
and US laws of copyright. No recording devices. Enrollment in
this course constitutes tacit acceptance of this agreement and of the
copyright claims made therein. Any breach of this agreement or use
of copyrighted material by any member of the university or the public
without prior consent will be met with wrathful and immediate legal
action. |
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Academic
Schedule
Academic
Calendar 2009
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