I
am once again offering this fun survey of the English language,
described by one of my students as "the best course I've ever taken".
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 pm, September 22 - November 17 (no class November 10)
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 pm, September 22 - November 17 (no class November 10)
Goethe Institute
100
University Ave., North Tower,
Suite 201
on the west side of University a few steps south of King
St Andrew subway station
This venue is fully accessible.
Nathan Phillips Square parking garage is 9 minutes walk away.
Suite 201
on the west side of University a few steps south of King
St Andrew subway station
This venue is fully accessible.
Nathan Phillips Square parking garage is 9 minutes walk away.
Price: 9 2-hour classes for $225 including HST
Enrollment limited to 20 people.
Subject to space, you may attend one or more individual lectures at $30 each, but you must let me know which ones you will be attending at least a week in advance.
Subject to space, you may attend one or more individual lectures at $30 each, but you must let me know which ones you will be attending at least a week in advance.
Please register in advance by
emailing me at wordlady.barber@gmail.com or phoning me at 416-693-4496
and sending a cheque made out to
Katherine Barber
201 Hanson Street
Toronto ON
M4C 1A7
Please write "English course" on the cheque
- Sept 22 Celts and Anglo-Saxons:
Celtic
and Latin relics from pre-5th
century
Britain. The Germanic origins of our essential vocabulary and
grammar. Why we have "feet" instead of "foots"
and why we use apostrophe s for the possessive. Relics of
Anglo-Saxon dialects in Modern English.
- Sept 29 Using the Oxford English Dictionary.
A
primer in using this essential online and print tool to research the
history of English words.
- Oct 6 The Vikings:
Old
Norse borrowings into English. Why we wear skirts and shirts. Why the
verb "to be" is so ridiculous.
- Oct 13 The Norman Invasion:
A
brief history of French. Middle English. Why we have "pigs"
in the open and "pork" on the plate. The origins of chaotic
English spelling.
- Oct 20 The Renaissance: Early Modern English
Spelling
and pronunciation don't jibe. The Great Vowel Shift. Why is there a
"b" in "debt" and an "h" in "ghost"?
Why do some folks say "y'all"? The effect of Shakespeare
and the King James Bible on the vocabulary
- Oct 27 The 18th Century:
The
prescriptive grammarians of the 18th
century
at the origin of our present grammar “rules”. The original
dictionaries and Samuel Johnson. Re-examining our pet peeves.
- Nov 3 The 19th Century to the Present :
The
influence of Sir Walter Scott, the industrial revolution, and the
expansion of the British Empire. Why some people pronounce "herb"
with an "h" and others without. Why Lufthansa supplies its
first class passengers with "body bags".
Nov 17 American and Canadian English:
Nov 17 American and Canadian English:
Have
they corrupted the language? Noah Webster and his dictionary. Why
are British and American spelling different? The
history of Canadian English. Are we more British or more American?
How we can be very confusing to other English speakers.
Nov 24 Writing Dictionaries :
How do new words enter the language? What do lexicographers do?
Nov 24 Writing Dictionaries :
How do new words enter the language? What do lexicographers do?
P.S.
If you find the English language fascinating, you might enjoy regular
updates about English usage and word origins from Wordlady. Receive
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