The English language in multilingual contexts

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1023802ANR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Alexis Housen (course titular)
Bastien De Clercq
Georgia Knell

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
12 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

Please note: The following course content description is provisional. Changes are possible depending on, amongst others, the size and composition of the class. Any changes from the course content described below will be clearly communicated at the beginning of the course.

This course explores the nature, development and role of the English language since its early origins in the 6^thcentury to the modern era characterised by increasing cultural and linguistic diversity, economic and political globalisation and massive migration flows. The English language was born in a multilingual context and has been a contact language ever since. We start by charting how English, the language of a relatively small island off the European mainland, became the dominant global lingua franca of the 20th and 21^st centuries. We examine both how the English language was shaped and changed by the various peoples and their languages that it came into contact with in the last 1500 years, as well as the impact that the English language had on these other peoples and their societies and languages as it spread across the globe through (political, economical and cultural) colonialism and via popular (mass) media. As an example in case, we explore the role and status of English in the city of Brussels, the officially bilingual but in reality hyper-diverse, multilingual capital of Belgium and the unofficial de facto capital of the European Union. The choice of English as lingua franca in multilingual contexts, from education, business to popular culture, illustrates the significance and power of English in many walks of life. The social, cultural and economic opportunities offered by the knowledge and use of English, and the implications for those who don’t have access to the language, are critically discussed.

We further look at how the English language continues to be shaped by its global spread and the growing number of people who speak English as a native, second or foreign language in a wide range of settings and domains, from the home to education, science, work and entertainment. These factors are giving rise to the emergence of new varieties of English (including pidgins, creoles, and ‘new’ or ‘world Englishes’) and other linguistic contact phenomena such as borrowing and code-switching.

The contents of this course will be illustrated by watching, reading and listening to English language samples from a wide variety of contexts, including contexts where English is used as a native, second or foreign language, alongside one or more other languages. Illustrations of English-based pidgins and creoles and New Englishes are also given.

The choice of English as a lingua franca in multilingual contexts and in domains such as education, business and popular culture will illustrate the significance and power of English. The social, cultural and economic opportunities offered by the knowledge and use of English, and the implications for those who do not have access to English, are critically discussed.

Additional info

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes

Students have an understanding of the history and development of English, and its contemporary role alongside and impact on other languages in a globalised, linguistically diverse world
Students are aware of, and undestand, the diversity of English as determined by the nature of its users and the contexts in which it is used
Students have a critical appreciation of contemporary uses of English alongside other modes of communication in a range of social, cultural, political and educational contexts
Students can use appropriate scientific tools and apply conceptual frameworks for the study of linguistic contact phenomena present in the English language
Students can critically reflect on their own experiences with the English language along the other languages that they know and use
Students have a more developed communicative competence in English, allowing them to be more efficient communicators in English in a range of contexts of use.

Course Objectives

The overall goal of the course is to enable students to observe and critically reflect upon how the English language functions and varies between individuals and between diverse cultural, political and national contexts, and how it both shapes and is shaped by the various languages it is in contact with.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 30% of the final mark.
Written Exam determines 70% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral exam with a relative weight of 30 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written exam with a relative weight of 70 which comprises 70% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Please note: The description of the assessment and evaluation is provisional and subject to changes depending on the size and composition of the class. Any changes in the assessment and evaluation procedure described below will be clearly communicated to the students at the beginning of the course.

The final mark will be determined by the weighted average calculated as follows:

a) Written exam: 70% of final mark

b) Oral exam: 30% of final mark

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context