Worlds of English

ENGL 4372EED

Course Guide

Worlds of English

ENGL 4372EED

Course Guide

Worlds of English

Course Start Date

N/A

Course Level

N/A

Length in Terms

N/A

Credits

N/A

Language

N/A

Fees ($) (including lab fees)

N/A

Future Terms

Quota and Schedule

Course Start Date	Course Level	Length in Terms	Credits	Language	Fees ($) (including lab fees)	Future Terms
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Quota and Schedule

Course Coordinator:

Dr Chow mei-yung, Vanliza: B(Phil.), MA, PhD (University of Birmingham)

Excluded combinations and courses not allowed to be taken again

ENGL 3373EEF

Aims

This course aims to provide students with:

an understanding of the history of English and its development as a global language;
a critical appreciation of the contemporary uses of English in a range of social and cultural contexts;
opportunities to analyse spoken, written and multimodal English;
an understanding of how English is promoted around the world, the controversies surrounding the politics and economics of such decisions and their impacts on other languages and people who speak them; and
a perspective on their own English language experiences, including developing their own communication skills.

Contents

The course covers the following topics:

The history of English: How and why English has changed, and its development as an international language
Varieties of English: How varieties of English around the world differ from one another
Global English: Whether English, as an international language, contributes to greater international integration, or is bound up with cultural and linguistic imperialism
English in use: How English is used in different contexts in everyday conversation, as a language of business and trade, as a literary language and as a creative means of communication
Learning English: How adults and children learn English, informally at home and as part of the school curriculum, in both monolingual and bilingual contexts
Teaching English: How English is taught in different contexts and issues related to English teaching
English and technology: How English is used in the media, and the extent to which global technology affects the language and its use
Politics of English: How English plays a significant role in the negotiation of power relations between individuals and between communities on issues such as migratory patterns, language policies and the global media.

The course includes three video clips (uploaded on the OLE) to illustrate various aspects of the English language.

Learning support

There are 15 two-hour tutorials which add up to 30 contact hours within the two terms.

Assessment

There are two assessment methods for the course: Six assignments (the best five of them are counted) and a final examination. Each assessment method accounts for 50% of the total course mark.

Electronic submission of assignments

Except for some designated assignments, students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).