Spring 2010

E 321L • American English

Course Description

We will begin by looking at the development of American English since colonial times. The major part of the course will be devoted to different varieties of English in the U.S. and Canada. We will consider linguistic variation according to factors such as region, social status, ethnicity, age, and gender. Students will be asked to perform their own case studies of a variety of English spoken in Texas.

Grading Policy

There will be a final exam (30%) and one in-class quiz per week (20%). In addition, students will be asked to present an oral report on their own research and fieldwork on one variety of American English, and to produce a written version of this report of at least six pages (40%). The remaining 10% of the grade will be given for attendance and class participation.

Texts

The basic text for the course will be American English by Wolfram and Schilling-Estes (second edition, Oxford/Malden: Blackwell, 2005). Additional readings will be made available electronically.

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