English and Anglo-American Studies

History of the English Language (6CFU) LATE MODERN ENGLISH : At the Onset of Normative Tradition The course will provide a general description of linguistic changes, and reasons for changes in the grammar, sounds, and vocabulary of English in XVIII century. Particular attention will be paid to the development and form of epistolary communication.

Prerequisites for attendance, accessibility and passing the exam are advanced knowledge of written and oral English, basic knowledge of linguistics, and basic knowledge of the history of English culture and literature. Level of English: C1- C1.plus

I. Tieken-Boon van Ostade, An Introduction to Late Modern English, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2009.

Face-to-face lessons. Group-work. Individual presentations on a voluntary basis.

Recommended.

In itinere assessments, mid-term and end-of-course with the help of IT tools and assessment platforms. Individual work will be required on a voluntary basis. The final examination will be a written test in English with open-ended questions and text analysis.

C. McIntosh, The Evolution of English Prose, 1700-1800. Style, Politeness, and Print Culture, Cambridge, C.U.P., 1998, ch.1-2-8. G.Mazzon, “The Fictionality of Standard English. Construction of Language Norms in 17° and 18° Century Britain”, in Late Modern English Norms and Usage, Textus (2016), pp. 11-32. L. Mugglestone, ‘Enchaining Syllables and Lashing the Wind: Samuel Johnson, Thomas Sheridan, and the Ascertainment of Spoken English’, ”, in Late Modern English Norms and Usage, Textus (2016), pp. 33-58 R.Hickey, Attitudes and Concerns in Eighteenth-century English”, in  Eighteenth-Century English. Ideology and Change, Raymond Hickey ed., Cambridge, C.U.P., 2010, pp.1-20 “I.Tieken-Boon, “Lowth as an icon of prescriptivism”, in Eighteenth-Century English. Ideology and Change, Raymond Hickey ed., Cambridge, C.U.P., 2010, pp.73-88. D. Montini, “Language and Letters in Samuel Richardson’s Correspondence”JEMS (Journal of English Modern Studies) 3, “Letter Writing in Early Modern Culture, 1500-1750, edited by Gabriella Del Lungo Camiciotti and Donatella Pallotti, pp.173-198

Lectures. Groupwork.