Take-Home Final Essay

The history of Modern English is one of innovation and standardisation, but the significance and application of these linguistic changes have been debated continuously from 1500 to the present. Inevitably, the context for this debate and the issues and arguments of significance to the participants have been determined by the individual settings--both chronological and geographical--in which the debate has taken place. Your mission for the final exam is:

Choose a region or country and discuss the history and status of English within that setting.

Your discussion should include:

• The origins of the variety (or varieties) of English found in the setting between the year 1500 and the present. If you are not dealing with English as used in England, describe how English came to the country or region.
• A discussion of the relationship between the English of the region and either British Standard English or Standard English more generally (i.e. all of the national standard which closely resemble British Standard English and each other regardless of the country with which they are associated).
• A discussion of some of the issues and controversies regarding the English language which have arisen in the country or region you have chosen.
• Where possible, a discussion of how attitudes about the status of English in the country or region you have chosen have changed over time.
• Where possible, a discussion of what grammatical or other features of the English used in the country or region you have chosen might have contributed to the attitudes, issues, and controversies you are discussing.

Note that these five points should not be the principle by which you organise your essay (many of them overlap). You should merely make sure that you deal with all of them in the process of answering the essay question above.

In order to answer this question, you will need to take most of your evidence from the handouts given out in class and on the web site. The latest handouts can be accessed by clicking here. You may also use encyclopaedia entries or other research, properly cited, in order to familiarise yourself with the historical context of the country or region you have chosen.

Format: Your essay should be about 4-6 pages (2000-4000 words or so). Quotations should be kept short so that you do not pad your discussion with them. Citations should follow MLA or some other recognised format.

Due Date: Essays should be handed in by 5 pm on Thursday, 12 December 2002. You may e-mail your essay to me as an attachment (not pasted into the e-mail message), leave a hard copy under my office door, or hand it in at the English Department Office.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me immediately.

Finally, I want to thank everyone once again for an enjoyable, if frantic, semester and to congratulate you all on your efforts in such a challenging course. I wish you all a very happy holiday season and a restful break before we all start over again next semester.