Mster en Lingstica Inglesa: Nuevas aplicaciones y Comunicacin Internacional (MLINACI)

LENGUA INGLESA: HISTORIA Y CULTURA

Brief description

The course focuses on the study of historical-linguistic processes and facts of the English language of special relevance to professionals and researchers in linguistics and communication, as well as on the intellectual, social, political and cultural contexts associated with those processes and facts. The syllabus will concentrate on selected aspects and will be developed from an innovative perspective.

Aims The course intends to:

a) Foster the historical perspective in the analysis of one or several linguistic topics of special interest for students in their current Masters studies or for their later professional career.

b) Tackle the history of English from a cultural perspective. There will be a special emphasis on the study of institutions, problems and national values related to English-speaking countries and on the interaction with other societies, allowing international and comparative perspectives.

c) Develop a historical way of thinking and a critical and analytical capacity in relation to linguistic-cultural facts, contributing to the students understanding of the mentalities of earlier periods.

d) Foster the students sensitivity towards the nature of linguistic change, the causes and factors contributing to it and the role cultural contact plays in the development of language and the related mentalities.

e) Promote new comparative studies at a transnational level between English and Spanish, in terms of their language and culture.

Course contents The course will focus on one or several of the following units:

1. History of English vs histories of English: a dynamic tension. Orthodox vs alternative narratives. The renewal of knowledge

2. Language and identity though history a. National identity through language. Historical development of the idea of

standard English b. Historical perception of dialects c. Stereotypes: individual and collective identity types. Spanish images of

English/ England. English images of Spanish/ Spain 3. Contact languages. Contact cultures.

a. Contact patterns b. Relevant cultural contacts of the past c. Translation. The reception of English literature in Spain and / or of Spanish

literature in England. Selected issues d. English-Spanish: history of language teaching and learning e. Tourism and language f. Influence of English lexis on European languages. Attitudes towards

anglicisms.

4. Structural and typological changes in the history of the English language a. Language change and grammaticalization processes b. Phonological, structural or lexical changes c. Names. English onomastics through history

5. History of English through a history of genres. Selected issues a. Religious and political texts b. Dictionaries c. Grammars d. Scientific literature e. Journalism f. Advertising g. Literary languages h. English-Spanish contrast and comparison

6. Visual history of English. Impact of writing and communication technologies on language standards and styles

a. Runic engravings b. Medieval manuscripts c. The Printing Press and print history d. Contemporary products

7. History of cultural movements and their influence on language a. Christianization and Christian influence b. Medieval pilgrimages c. Technological advances d. Empire e. Industrialization f. Feminism and social class movements

8. Corpus-based approaches to the history of the English language a. Theoretical and methodological issues b. Creation of corpora

9. The pastness of the past. The beauty of the past a. An in-depth analysis of a forgotten moment of English. A different and

exciting perspective on human life and society

Basic readings Crystal, D. 2004. The Stories of English. Woodstock: The Overlook Press 2001. Towards a History of English as a History of Genres. C. Winter Grlach , M. 2003. English Words abroad. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Heine, B. & T. Kuteva. 2007. The Genesis of Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hernndez Campoy, J.M. & J.C. Conde Silvestre, eds. 2012. The Handbook of Historical

Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell Hogg, R. et al. eds. 1992-2001. The Cambridge History of the English Language (6 volumes).

Cambridge University Press Hopper,P. & E.C. Traugott, 1993. Grammaticalization Cambridge University Press