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Syntactic Theory: Course Content

ENG 433:

Aims & Objectives

  • To make the students realize that English is a global language with many varieties.
  • To familiarize them with the current debate in linguistics regarding the future of English as an international language.
  • To make the students familiar with the gender issues related to Pakistani, Indian, Malaysian, Singapore, Nigerian, Chinese, Japanese and English societies.
  • At the end of the course, students should be able to describe the spread and diverse functions of English in the World. They should further be able to dissemble and recognize the selected varieties of English, saying how they differ from the traditional dictionary norms and from each other.
  • Finally, they should know the debate(s) going on concerning the various English in the world, and on the legitimacy of New English in particular.

Course Outline

  • Introduction
  • English as a global language An overview
  • Language variations and discourse; language variety and culture
  • English in the world: its spread, functions and status
  • The three circles of English
  • Some features of New Englishes
  • British and American English
  • English in South-East Asia
  • Pakistani English
  • Indian English
  • Debates and issues the prejudices associated with different varieties of English
  • The role of teachers and educational institutions in creating, maintaining, and challenging prejudice.
  • The future of English

Recommended Reading

  1. Bamgbose, A. (1998). “Torn between the norms: innovations in world Englishes”, World Englishes 17(1), 1-14.
  2. Crystal, D. (1997a). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: CUP.
  3. Graddol, D. (1997b). The future of English? London: British Council.
  4. Jenkins, J. (2003). World Englishes: A resource book for students. Routledge.
  5. Kachra, B. (1992). The Other Tongue (2nd Ed). Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
  6. Kachru, B. (1986). The Alchemy of English: The spread, Functions and Models of Non-native Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press, reprinted 1990, Urbana: university of Illinois Press.
  7. Kachru, B., Yamuna Kachru & Cecil L.N. (2006). World Englishes in Asian Contexts. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
  8. Kachru, B., Yamuna, K., & Cecil L. N. (Eds.), (2006). The Handbook of World Englishes. Malden, MA; Oxford: Blackwell.
  9. Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
  10. Penny Cook, A. (1996). English in the World/ The world in English. In J.W. Tollefson (1996) Power and inequality in language education. (pp.34-58). Cambridge University Press.
  11. Simo, B, A. (2001). “Taming the madness of English”. Modern English Teacher, vol. 10.no.2, 11-17.