spring 2020
ENG-3070 Varieties of English - 10 ECTS

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

Applicants from outside the Nordic countries: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.


Type of course

This course is mandatory for students in the master's programme in English acquisition and multilingualism and elective for students in the master's programme in education year 8-13 (lektorutdanninga, studieretning engelsk). 

This course may be taken as a single course by students who meet the admission requirements for the master`s programme in English Acquisition and Multilingualism.


Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or equivalent qualification, in English language, or a degree combining English language and literature, with a minimum of 80 ECTS in English. An average grade equivalent to C or better (in the English coursework, 80 ECTS) is required.

Application code: 9371 - Enkeltemner på masternivå (Nordic applicants).


Course content

Why is it possible to distinguish English native speakers from Sydney and Southampton as soon as they open their mouths? And why is the sentence "She didn't say why had they come" grammatical in Irish English, Indian English and many other contact varieties? These and many other questions about the different varieties of English spoken around the world will be discussed in this course. The course will survey a range of varieties of English and explore how they differ from each other. In addition, students will focus on a particular variety of English for their first presentation. The course will explore structural differences, considering the sounds of English, lexical differences, and variation in morphology and syntax. Students will build on their existing knowledge of the structure of English and further develop their analytical skills in these areas. The course will also provide some theoretical background on language variation, language contact and language change, with a focus on the development and diversification of English. It will also discuss the linguistic and cultural/historical factors that have determined the emergence of new Englishes and the use of English as a Lingua Franca in the world.

Objectives of the course

Students who have taken this course will have the following learning outcomes: 

Knowledge

The student has:

  •  general knowledge of varieties of English across the world
  •  more specific knowledge of one or more varieties of English, in terms of linguistic structure
  •  general knowledge about the spread and diversification of English
  •  general knowledge of theoretical approaches to variation, language contact and language change.

Skills

The student is:

  •  able to compare and contrast varieties of English with reference to different aspects of linguistic structureable to discuss theoretical and methodological issues related to language variation, language contact and language change, both orally and in writing.


Language of instruction and examination

Language of instruction and examination: English.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, hands-on work with language data. The course is taught 2 hours per week for 13 weeks.

Quality assurance: All courses undergo a halfway evaluation once in a 2-year period at the master´s level. The Programme Board determines which programme options will be evaluated per year, and which courses will be evaluated by the students and the teacher per year.


Assessment

The following coursework requirements must be completed and approved in order to take the final exam:

One short paper and one short presentation in the first half of the semester and a longer presentation towards the end of the semester. The longer presentation should be connected to the term paper.

The exam will consist of:

Assessment method: Term paper (4000-5000 words).

Performance in the course will be assessed on an A-F grades scale. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed. A re-sit examination is offered in the event of an F grade. The deadline to register for a re-sit examination is January 15th for the autumn semester and August 15th for the spring semester. For the re-sit exam the student may submit a revised version of his/her term paper.


Recommended reading/syllabus

Pensumliste for ENG-3070 Varieties of English
  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: ENG-3070
  • Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet