Global English

Global English addresses a number of different questions relating to the fact that English is the most commonly used language in global communication today. How did English originate and develop in Britain? What lies behind the spread of English to the different continents where it is represented today? What status does English have in linguistic communities around the world? How do varieties of English differ in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and spelling? How is the English language changing and developing in the encounter with new technology and globalization processes? What is the connection between language and power, and who is more powerful: native speakers of English or speakers of English as a second or foreign language? What attitudes are there towards English as a global language? Is English a useful lingua franca, a linguistic "tyrannosaurus rex", or something in between? What will happen to the English language in the future? These and other topics will be discussed from a primarily sociolinguistic angle, but literary perspectives are also included.

Knowledge

Candidates who have passed this course can

• account for the main aspects of the origins and development of the English language within Great Britain.
• account for the various factors that lead to the spread of English to the different continents where it is found today.
• account for the various roles played by English in different communities both as a first and a second language.
• identify and describe differences between varieties of English both within and outside of Great Britain concerning pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and orthography.

Skills

Candidates who have passed this course can

• discuss the power relationships among native speakers and second language users of English.
• account for and reflect upon positive and negative consequences of the status of English as a global language.
• assess likely scenarios for the future development of the English language in an age of digitalization and globalization.

The course offers online teaching in a 13-week period. The course has online teaching units, which cover the various topics introduced in the course.

Obligatory activities cover various aspects of the course. Students are given feedback on obligatory activities and offered supervision. The course blog and discussion forum are actively used for course-related interaction.

Other

This is a fully online course. Information pertaining to access to the course is sent to the email address registered for the student. All communication throughout the run of the course will take place on the course site and learning platform, and NTNU's student email. Students are required to follow all communication channels used by the course.

Students need access to an updated computer and a good internet connection.