Course Description
The forms and functions of varieties of Englishes in diverse cultural contexts. World Englishes, or the English of Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, has a scope that integrates theory, methodology, and the empirical study of English in global, linguistic, and literary contexts.
Athena Title
World Englishes
Prerequisite
ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102M or ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1060H
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course will explore the concept of linguistic "power" of English with a cross-cultural perspective, and will study such "power" from various English-using countries in the domains of literature, the media (film, journalism, world wide web), and education practices. Students will be introduced to what are termed the Outer Circle and the Expanding Circle of world Englishes. Insight will be provided for exploring the issues of the uses of English for international (external) and intranational (internal) purposes. While the teaching of English should reflect the sociocultural contexts and the educational policies of the relevant countries, the student should be able to distinguish those countries which focus on international comprehension (People’s Republic of China, for example) and countries which must negotiate English as it is used for intranational purposes (Nigeria, for example). 1) Students will be able to analyze media and literary works through the interpretive frames of literary study, linguistic analysis, and media studies. 2) Students will be able to discuss literary works, media, and language use in the context of global, national, regional, and local usage. 3) Students will develop their abilities to think critically, argue persuasively, and write incisively. 4) Students will enhance their practical sense of how studying English in a global context and across cultures makes a difference by presenting their own work in a variety of ways: via oral presentations, blogs, language analysis, and traditional essays, for instance.
Topical Outline
The class will focus on reading the literature, theoretical, aesthetic, and practical, that exemplifies the uses of English world-wide. The tools and approaches may include linguistic analysis, literary criticism, literary theory, media studies, and literacy studies that cross ideological, cultural, and national boundaries. The overall approach may include historical, synchronic, comparative, and computer-based methods of analysis. The focus of analysis may include oral, written, and visual and print forms of expression. The choice and sequence of topics will vary from instructor to instructor and year to year.