Syllabus for History of the English Language Fall 2023

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1. Required Reading -- Book.

We have only one text to buy for this class. It is now in the University Book Store.

• Van Gelderen, Elly. A History of the English Language. Revised Edition. John Benjamins Publishing Co, 2014.  ISBN-13: 978-9027212092
  • At Amazon.com

2a. Other Required Readings.

Some other required readings will be available on Canvas.

If you see a required reading but do not know where it is, look on our Canvas site.

This is a "content" course. Here are some objectives:

• To examine the originsl, structure, and development of the English language;
• To come to some understanding of how and why changes occur in languages generally;
• To study some Old English, Middle English, Modern English, and English dialect texts;
• To acquare enough knowledge to pursue your study of the English language further after you have completed this course;
• To learn about language generally;
• To become interested in and enthusiastic about the history of English so that you can impart that enthusiasm and interest to others in the future (e.g. to students).

The classes will be mainly discussions of the reading rather than lectures.

Participation by the whole class in discussions is a must if they are to be interesting and worthwhile. In addition, considerable class time will be spent listening to, and commenting upon and discussing, papers written by the students in the class.

A typical class might be divided this way:

1. Instructor's presentation, comments, suggestions.
2. Group Discussions: I will divide the class into 4-6 groups for discussion purposes. I will provide suggested topics for discussion, together with passages from the books.
3. General class discussion of the topic, passages, and related topics and passages.

This order can be varied.

5. Bring the Readings to Class

You must bring the text of the assignment to class with you every day. I will check.

You can bring the "hard-copy" -- paper copy --  of the book or articles, or you can read them on a laptop or tablet, but NOT on a cell phone.

NOTE: You may NOT use a cell phone for this purpose. The screens are far too small.

6. Bring your Homework Assignment to Class Every Day

You must bring a copy of your homework assignment to class on the day we are discussing it.

You can bring it in printed out, along with the assignment itself, Or you can read them on a laptop or tablet, but NOT on a cell phone.

REMINDER: NOTE:You may NOT use a cell phone for this purpose. The screens are far too small.

Three unexcused absences will lower the final grade by one grade (e.g. "A" becomes "A-"); five unexcused absences lowers it by one letter (e.g. "A" becomes "B").

If you cannot attend class for whatever reason, I expect you to let me know by email; by phone; or in person before class. If this is impossible, leave a message the same day as the class. If you do this, your absence will be "excused."

If you fail, or forget, to do this, your absence will be "unexcused."

You can find the format for an email notice of "Absence" on our Home Page. Use it!

You should email me here. This is the best way to communicate with me. I do not check my voicemail.

Lateness Policy.

If you are late for class -- after I have taken attendance - - I will count it as an "unexcused" absence unless you remember to tell me, at the end of that same class, that you came late.

If you forget to do this, your recorded absence will remain. I do this because lateness disrupts the class and group discussions.

The first two times you are late for a class, I will warn you. After that, I will count your lateness as an "unexcused" absence.

Please do not be consistently late.

• All required readings, and homework assignments on them, must be read by 8 p.m. the night BEFORE class.
• You will email your HW assignments to me (Furr), and also to the other members of your discussion group.

• Completion of the biweekly written assignments.
  • You will generally have two writing assignments every week, one for each class session.
  • Go here to the homework page.

These assignments will be put on our web page after the end of the previous class.

They will typically be 300 - 400 words in length.

You'll be asked to do this by the previous evening before class so that you can have time the day of the class, but before the class, to access your account and read the assignments from the other members of your group.

This means every student will have both written on the passages to be discussed, AND read the responses from the other members of his/her group. This greatly enriches the discussions!

• Completion of all examinations.
• Participation in class. You cannot receive a passing grade for class participation if you are absent frequently, no matter what the reason is.

You will use email  very extensively in this course. All writing assignments will be submitted by email.

This will permit you to send your assignments to everyone in your group, and for you to read their assignments. This, in turn, will make group discussions much better!

You will have two writing assignments per week, which you will send me and your group. These will be assigned in advance, and will center on passages which we will discuss at the following class session.

This means that everyone in class will have read the assigned reading in its entirety by the time we come to discuss it.

In addition, every student will have reread, and written on, the specific passages under discussion at each class session. This makes class discussions far more fruitful.

Normally I do not make comments on the biweekly assignments, since I get about 75 of them twice a week.

But I will be glad to give you feedback when you specifically request it.

If you want my comments or feedback of any kind on a biweekly assignment, please type

at the end of the Subject Line of your HW assignment.

All students will take a mid-term exam at the end of October.

A  final exam will be held on the last day of class.

The final grade for the course will be composed of:

• grades for the biweekly assignments;
• grades for quizzes, if any;
• the grade for class participation
• the final examination (and mid-term, if taken);
• less penalty for unexcused absences (if any).

It may be easiest for you to email me at my email address.

Remember to put your last name, the letters HLX (capital letters) and the date the assignment is due -- NOT the date you are sending it to me, on the Subject line of every email to me.

I will return, without grading or counting them, all messages sent to me without a proper Subject Line. See the example on our Home Page.

Sometimes you just have a question or comment that can be handled without seeing me personally. If so, email me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours. I check my email at least once a day, usually twice.

But there will be times you want to see me in person.

• My office hours are Mondays and Thursdays 11:15.to 12:30 p.m. in DKSN-325 (Dickson Hall).
  I can also be available Fridays  at 2:15 p.m., but only with advance notification from you. Otherwise I may be in my office, but on other business.
• My office phone is (973) 655-7305. But do not leave messages there -- they are very hard to hear because the audio quality on my phone is poor.
• Email me instead.

Back to Home Page for History of the English Language, Fall 2023.

Go here to the Homework Page.

http://msuweb.montclair.edu/~furrg/helsylf23.html| Email me | last modified January 14 2023