Postgraduate Course: Dialects of English in Britain and Ireland (LASC11117)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course provides a detailed account of dialects of English in Britain and Ireland. Beginning with an overview of variation and change in dialects of English, the course proceeds to examine how they differ in terms of their phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis, and investigates key linguistic features, historical origins, relations to other dialects, and the current forces which are shaping their development.
These are examined from dialectological, sociolinguistic, perceptual and theoretical linguistic perspectives, and issues that are investigated include dialect and language contact, dialect levelling and new dialect formation, and the interaction of language and physical and human geography.
Central concerns throughout the course are: why dialects of English in Britain and Ireland are the way they are; what the linguistic similarities and differences between them are; and what local and general trends are affecting them.
Specific areas covered in detail may vary from year to year, but could include, for example, Northern Ireland (including the importance of the ethno-religious dimension), peripheral areas of Scotland such as the Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Scottish-English border (including contact and the sociolinguistics of peripheral varieties), Northern England (including the status of 'Northern English' and the linguistic and perceptual border with the Midlands and South), Liverpool (including changing perceptions of a stigmatised urban variety), Northeast England (including dialect levelling and the transition from traditional dialects to modern accents of English), and Southern British English (including 'Estuary English, koinéization, and London Multicultural English).
Formative feedback available;
- short discussion assignments on Learn, advice on assignment. |
| Course description |
Weeks 1-3: introduction and general issues and features
Weeks 4-5, 7-10: varieties of English
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
21/09/2015 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 4,000 word essay-style assignment (100%)
Assignment deadline: Thursday 11th December, 12 noon
Word limit: 4000 maximum
Return deadline: 16th January 2015 |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
An overview of dialects of English in Britain and Ireland.
An understanding of why dialects of English are the way they are, of the historical, geographical and social forces that have shaped their development, and of current trends in their development.
An ability to describe the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical features of a range of dialects of English in Britain and Ireland, and to explain in detail particular linguistic features which are found in them.
An appreciation of previous and on-going research into dialects of English in Britain and Ireland from dialectological, sociolinguistic, perceptual and theoretical linguistic perspectives, including issues such as dialect and language contact, dialect levelling and new dialect formation, and the interaction of language and political, cultural and physical borders.
|
Reading List
Beal, J. 2010. An Introduction to Regional Englishes. Edinburgh: EUP.
Beal, J., L. Burbano-Elizondo and C. Llamas. 2012. Urban North-Eastern English. Edinburgh: EUP.
Britain, D. (ed.) 2007. Language in the British Isles. Cambridge: C.U.P.
Chambers, J.K. and P. Trudgill. 1998. Dialectology. 2nd edition. Cambridge: C.U.P.
Corrigan, K.P. 2010. Irish English, Volume 1: Northern Ireland. Edinburgh: EUP.
Foulkes, P. and G. Docherty (eds.) 1999. Urban Voices. London: Arnold.
Hughes, A., P. Trudgill and D. Watt. 2005. English Accents and Dialects. 4th edition. London: Arnold.
Kortmann, B. and E. Schneider in collab. with K. Burridge/R. Mesthrie/C. Upton (eds.) 2004. A Handbook of Varieties of English. Vol. 1: Phonology; Vol. 2: Morphology and Syntax. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Millar, R. 2007. Northern and Insular Scots. Edinburgh: EUP.
Milroy, J. and L. Milroy. 1993. Real English: The Grammar of English Dialects in the British Isles. London: Longman.
Orton, H. et al., eds. 1962-71. Survey of English Dialects. Leeds: Arnold.
Trudgill, P. 1984. Language in the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Trudgill, P. 1999. The Dialects of England. Oxford: Blackwell.
Wakelin, M.F. 1972. English Dialects: An Introduction. London: Athlone.
Wells, J.C. 1982. Accents of English. 3 volumes. Cambridge: C.U.P. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will understand how and why varieties of English in Britain and Ireland vary as they do. This is fundamental for anyone working in these islands, within education, the media etc. The students will also be given the opportunity to hone their writing and argument skills. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Warren Maguire
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Toni Noble
Tel: (0131 6)51 3188
Email: |
|
© Copyright 2015 The University of Edinburgh - 27 July 2015 11:28 am
|
University Homepage