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 ©Hurst, 2000
Updated 07/27/00

Required Texts:

Millward, C.M.  A Biography of the English Language.  Second Edition.  Fort 
     Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1996.

Recommended Texts and Materials:

Burnley, David.  The History of the English Language: A Source Book.  London:
     Longman, 1992.

Course Objective and Course Design:

 Our primary objective in this course will be to explore the external and the internal history of English.  The external history includes the people and events that have affected the language from its beginnings to the present time, while the internal history deals with the language itself and the linguistic principles shaping its development.  To accomplish our goal, we will review some of the basic features of language, examine key concepts in historical linguistics, learn about representative English texts, investigate the varieties of English, and think about the future of our language.  Class meetings will be organized around a lecture-discussion format.  This course is intended for students at the junior-senior undergraduate level; no prior knowledge of English history or linguistics is expected.

Course Requirements:

     Students will conduct themselves in a manner appropriate for a university classroom. 
     Students will attend class regularly, having completed the designated readings and assignments, and will participate positively in class discussions.
     Students will take four tests (three tests during the semester plus the final exam).  Tests will cover material presented in the lectures and discussions as well as material presented in the textbooks.  Students will be expected to demonstrate college-level writing skills in completing the tests.
     Students will write three short papers.  Specific written instructions for the papers will be distributed in class.
     Students will deliver oral presentations about their written assignments.

How to Get in Touch with Your Professor:

 Send her an e-mail message any time on the internet:  <maryjane.hurst@ttu.edu>.
 Visit her during office hours (listed above) in 217 English.
 Call her office in 217 English (742-2500, extension 253) at any time.
 Speak to her before or after class to arrange an appointment.
 Leave a message for her with the departmental secretary (742-2501) in 216 English.
 Call her at home (number).

In order to earn a passing grade for English 4372, a student must successfully complete all course requirements.  FINAL GRADES will be determined by averaging each student's seven semester grades (4 tests, 3 papers).  No material to be graded other than the final exam will be accepted or considered after the last day of regular classes.

Students are expected to be PRESENT, PUNCTUAL, AND PREPARED each class day.  To avoid being penalized unnecessarily, students should inform their professor, in advance when possible, of special situations that affect their attendance or their preparation.  The English Department does offer correspondence classes, but this is not one of them.  Ordinarily, students with more than seven absences should expect an automatic F in the course.

INDIVIDUAL MAKE-UP TESTS will NOT be administered.  Students should be present on test days except in cases of extreme emergencies.  On the last day of class, a make-up exam may be administered for any student who missed one of the earlier tests.  The make-up, which can substitute for only ONE regular test, may be a comprehensive exam.  IF UNIVERSITY CLASSES SHOULD BE CANCELLED (as, for example, in a weather emergency) on a day when a test is scheduled or an assignment is due, the test will be administered or the assignment collected on the next class day.

PAPERS will be collected at the beginning of the class period on which they are due.  Any LATE PAPER will be penalized one letter grade for each class period that elapses before the paper is submitted.  Other requirements for the papers are written on a separate instruction sheet.  Notice, also, that there are deadlines throughout the semester for completing work on the research paper long before the final copy of the paper is due.

Students are welcome to set up CONFERENCES with their professor during her regular office hours or during another pre-established appointment.  Constructive feedback about the course is encouraged at any time.  Students must take responsibility for their own learning;  if an individual does not understand lecture material or if a person is confused about an assignment, then that student should make an appointment to talk to the professor.

Students are expected to behave honorably and maturely.  Ideas discussed in literature and language classes can be controversial.  However, students will maintain appropriate decorum in their speech and behavior, at all times showing respect for other people and their ideas.  Students will also exhibit integrity in their classwork and in their dealings with their classmates.  PLAGIARISM or other forms of cheating will not be tolerated.  Any student found cheating can expect to receive an F for the course and to endure any other penalties invoked by the student's dean.

Any student who, because of a DISABLING CONDITION, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the professor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations.  Students requesting such services will need to present appropriate verification from Disabled Student Services since it is university policy that such accommodations are not made prior to completion of the approved University process.

OTHER INFORMATION about university policies can be located in the Undergraduate Catalog and in the Directory of Classes.  Students with concerns not addressed in this policy statement should discuss their situations with their professor at their earliest convenience.