Chaucer's Language 3301-JF278
The course for MA students focuses on the analysis of selected fragments of works by Geoffrey Chaucer, with special consideration of The Canterbury Tales. The analysis involves problems of pronunciation, lexis, morphology, syntax, and, in the case of poetical works, metrics.
Topics:
(1) Chaucer and his times: historical background
(2) metrics of Chaucer's poetry
(3) Middle English graphemics and phonemics
(4) phonological changes
(5) vocabulary (with the focus on borrowings)
(6) morphology: noun, pronoun, adjective, verb
(7) word-formation
(8) sentence structure
(9) styles in Chaucer's works
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
Acquiring knowledge
1. The student learns linguistic terminology as well as basic concepts and principles of linguistics
2. The student learns linguistic methodology practiced in the U.S. and the U.K. and acquires the knowledge of theory construction
3. The student learns how to use research tools and research techniques of sociolinguistics
4. The student expands their knowledge about historical development of the English language and its complexity
Education at language level B2+.
Acquiring expertise
1. The student acquires the expertise of how to use linguistic methodology in research projects
2. The student acquires the expertise of how to construct his/her own research projects with regard to the goals, scope and methods
3. The student is able to appreciate the variety of opinions presented in subject literature and during the discussions, as well as use them as the source of inspiration and not treat them as danger to his/her own system of values
4. The student acquires the expertise of how to search for the information in various sources, evaluate their usefulness and interpret them
Acquiring social skills
1. The student acquires the understanding of professional standards, especially the understanding of the ever changing environment in research and as well as the understanding of the importance of continuous education.
2. The student identifies problems and searches for the best solutions
3. The student acquires social skills and understands the need to build social ties and engage in cooperation in the effort of making the world a better place.
Language competence at B2+ level.
In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.
Assessment criteria
Final test at the end of the course which includes general questions as well as the analysis of the selected passages from Chaucer's works. The student can be absent no more than 3 times.
The written retake test if needed.
The method of evaluation may change depending on the epidemic situation. In such a case, the new rules shall be established according to the rules of UW and after the cosultation with attendees.
Bibliography
Benson, Larry D. (ed.). The Riverside Chaucer. Oxford: OUP.
Horobin, Simon. 2007. Chaucer’s Language. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hughes, Geoffrey. 2000. A History of English Words. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Kastovsky, Dieter. 2006. “Vocabulary”, [In:] R. Hogg – D. Denison (eds.) A History of he English Language. Cambridge: CUP, 199-270.
Lass, Roger. 2006. “Phonology and morphology”, [In:] R. Hogg – D. Denison (eds.) A History of he English Language. Cambridge: CUP, 43-108.
Minkova, Donka – Robert Stockwell. English Words. History and Structure. Cambridge: CUP.
Schlauch, Margaret. 1965. The English Language in Modern Times (since 1400). Warsaw: PWN.
Smith, Jeremy. 1992. “The use of English: language contact, dialect variation, and written standardisation during the Middle English period”, [In:] T. W. Machan – Ch. T. Scott (eds.) English in Its Social Context. Essays in Historical Sociolinguistics. Oxford: OUP, 47-68.
Wełna, Jerzy. 1990. “On transcribing Chaucer”, [In:] A. Weseliński (ed.) Studies in English and American Literature (Anglica 1), 163-174.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: