Homework Assignment on Van Gelderen, Chapter 8: Modern English: 1700 - Present, Part 2

This week we will cover the rest of Van Gelderen's long chapter on "Modern English", Chapter 8, pp. 224 - 236. (.Last week we did Part 1, the first 4 sections, pp. 207 - 223.)

The correct section contents are as follows:

Section 1. External History and Sources, pp. 207 - 210

Section 2: Modern English Spelling and Sounds, pp. 210 - 213

Section 3: Modern English Morphology, pp. 213 - 217

Section 4: Modern English Syntax, pp. 218 - 223

Section 5: The Modern English Lexicon, pp. 224 - 227

Section 6: Attitudes Towards Linguistic Differences, pp. 227 - 232

Section 7: Some Regional and Register Varieties, pp. 232 - 236

Study especially Section 6 on attitudes towards linguistic differences and Section 7, on regional and register varieties -- slang, jargon, language in less formal settings.

This is important because very few people grow up speaking anything like written standard English -- which, in fact, is not spoken (it's "written"). As a result almost everyone's spoken English is said by prescriptivists to be faulty, full of "mistakes", etc.

Written Assignment:

1. Read and study Section 5, but do not write an outline of it.

2. Please make a detailed outline of sections 6 and 7..

Email to me. NOT to your group. 

NB: As always, bring your text to class with you.