Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27
Linguistic contact is everywhere and eternal. English lexis is a particularly good example of this: less than half of the vocabulary of the present-day language is of native origin. But examples can be found elsewhere which are even more striking. Michif, for instance, has French noun morphology but Cree verb morphology. Here in northern Scotland, the pronunciation of the first consonant in the local equivalent of ‘what’ – fit – probably came about under Gaelic influence. This course will provide students with the theoretical and methodological insights which underlie the study of linguistic contact.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | None. | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Linguistic contact is everywhere and eternal. English lexis is a particularly good example of this: less than half of the vocabulary of the present-day language is of native origin. But examples can be found elsewhere which are even more striking. Michif, for instance, has French noun morphology but Cree verb morphology. Here in northern Scotland, the pronunciation of the first consonant in the local equivalent of ‘what’ – fit – probably came about under Gaelic influence.
This course will provide students with the theoretical and methodological insights which underlie the study of linguistic contact. These will be illustrated by many examples from a range of languages, including English. Pidgins, creoles and koines will be given considerable emphasis, with particular thought being given to the development of English under the influence of British, Norse and French in the early middle ages and to the history and present status of ‘colonial’ varieties of English and other languages, including those of Shetland, Tristan da Cunha and Norfolk Island. Throughout you will be encouraged to research and present appropriate case studies for your seminar; these will help you write your course essay and will increase your skills set in relation to your dissertation, no matter your topic.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt: In-course assessment: essay of between 2,500-3,000 words in length (80%), and seminar work (20%).
Resit: No Resit.
Students will be given the opportunity of finding out how well they have performed in seminars as an ongoing feature of the learning process.
Feedback on in-course reports will be given in writing on the cover sheet. Students will also be invited to discuss their performance with their tutor.
The Seminar Assessment Mark will be made available to students along with a generally brief written report from the tutor. Students will also be encouraged to speak to their tutor about the assessment.
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