I am once again offering this fun and informative survey of the English language, described by one of my students as "the best course I've ever taken".
Wednesday, 1:00-3:00 pm, January 17 - March 8,
Goethe Institute
100
University Ave., North Tower,
Suite 201
on the west side of University a few steps south of King
1 minute walk from St Andrew subway station
10 minutes or less walk from Union Station GO, fully covered via the PATH.
This venue is fully accessible.
For nearby parking see here:
https://en.parkopedia.ca/parking/underground/lot_372/m5j/toronto/?arriving=201712081100&leaving=201712081300
Suite 201
on the west side of University a few steps south of King
1 minute walk from St Andrew subway station
10 minutes or less walk from Union Station GO, fully covered via the PATH.
This venue is fully accessible.
For nearby parking see here:
https://en.parkopedia.ca/parking/underground/lot_372/m5j/toronto/?arriving=201712081100&leaving=201712081300
Price: 8 2-hour classes for $240 including HST
Enrollment limited to 20 people.
Subject to space, you may attend one or more individual lectures at $35 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 $35 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 either
1) arranging an Interac e-transfer
or
2) sending a cheque made out to
Katherine Barber
201 Hanson Street
Toronto ON
M4C 1A7
Please write "English course" on the cheque
Why is English spelling so chaotic? Why do we have so
many synonyms?
What might your name tell you about the history of the language? What is
the history
behind your favourite language pet peeve? This course is a highly
informative and
entertaining survey of the influences that have shaped English
vocabulary over the years.
We will tie linguistic developments with the social and political events
with which they coincided.
Forget your dull high school English classes as Katherine Barber takes
you on a surprisingly hilarious trip through a crazy language.
- Week 1 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.
- Week 2 Using the Oxford English Dictionary.
A
primer in using this essential online and print tool to research the
history of English words.
- Week 3 The Vikings:
Old
Norse borrowings into English. Why we wear skirts and shirts. Why the
verb "to be" is so ridiculous.
- Week 4 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.
- Week 5 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
- Week 6 The 18th Century:
The
prescriptive grammarians of the 18th
century
at the origin of our present grammar “rules”. Samuel Johnson. Re-examining our pet peeves.
- Week 7 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".
Week 8 American and Canadian English:
Week 8 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.
P.S. If you find the English language fascinating, you might enjoy regular updates about English usage and word origins from Wordlady. Receive every new post delivered right to your inbox! Sign up here.
Follow
me on twitter: @thewordlady
No comments:
Post a Comment