Admission requirements
Successful completion of Philology 3 or equivalent.
Description
In this course, we will be unlocking late modern identities through language: from the language of letters to literature.
The 18th and 19th centuries were tumultuous times marking significant social, cultural and political change in Britain and beyond. Notions of identity shifted drastically. As part of this, language became an important identity marker, while at the same time, attitudes to language variation were generally negative. How did people navigate this tension between language variation as an indicator of distinct social identities and the push for uniformity?
In this course we will examine manuscript material such as letters and other personal writings to explore how different identities are reflected in language, as well as study discourse and language representation in literary works of the time to discover how language and identity are intertwined. For instance, what did it mean to be rich, poor, a woman, or queer? How did speakers and writers in Scotland, Ireland, and (post)colonial territories balance local identities with the rise of the British empire? Taking a historical sociolinguistic approach, we will focus on key themes such as gender roles (e.g., the language in women’s letters), social class (e.g., linguistic markers of the wealthy versus the poor in literary dialect representation) and regional/national identity (e.g. the negotiation of Scottish or Irish identities in the broader pressure to use Standard English). Case studies may include the language of queer identities in private correspondence, the anglicization of the Scots language and the revival of Scots literature, literary dialect representation in Huckleberry Finn, as well as debates on “proper English” in grammar guides and prescriptive texts.
Through these, we will investigate how identities were indexed, negotiated, and challenged in language and how the Late Modern English period laid the groundwork for the rich sociolinguistic variation we see today.
Course objectives
At the end of the course, students can:
Transcribe Late Modern English handwritings and use primary sources to study the connection between language and identity
Provide an overview of the characteristics of Late Modern English and the rich variation associated with different social identities
Explain the socio-historical processes that played a role in the development of Late Modern Englishes and their associated social identities (in the British Isles and beyond)
Identify and explain the pre-dominant language attitudes using primary sources
Analyze and interpret sets of linguistic and socio-historical data using sociolinguistic and social identity theory, with a particular focus on the effects of variables such as gender, social class, education, and region
Gather relevant literature and develop a research question on a historical sociolinguistic topic centering on Late Modern English identities
Write a coherent research paper in academic English
Use basic digital tools to investigate language variation as found in Late Modern primary sources
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Digitally annotated Late Modern manuscript transcription, including an explanation of sociolinguistic variation and cultural references in the text
A 2-hour written midterm exam
Final paper, 2000-2500 words, focusing on a particular Late Modern sociolinguistic identity
Weighing
Transcription (30%)
Written midterm exam (30%); minimum grade required: 5.5
Paper (40%)
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average combined with additional requirements. The additional requirement is a minimum of a 5.5 for the written exam. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
The exam and paper can be retaken during the resit period. There is no resit for the manuscript transcription.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
We will be making use of selected chapters and articles that are available digitally from the library or the course’s Brightspace page. If you are curious about the kind of texts we will be working with, we will be using a number of chapters from this book: Johnson, Keith (2021). The History of Late Modern Englishes: An Activity-based Approach. Routledge.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal
Remarks
Not applicable.