ENGL 664 English as a World Language

This course analyzes the reasons for the rise of English language to a position of global dominance over other major world languages.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

No language, not Greek or Latin, Sanskrit or Chinese, has ever held a position such as the English language holds today. It is the only language in history to truly span the reaches of the globe. Its dominance extends to every field of human endeavor, whether scholarship, commerce, entertainment, politics, journalism, communication, transportation, or information storage and retrieval. But what does this mean? How are we who possess the language as native speakers, as members of the dominant societies who possess this language, to understand, appreciate, respond to, and in our own ways, manage these facts? These and related questions will be the focus of this course, within the context of how the language came to occupy this singular position.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Group Discussions (3)

For this collaborative discussion, the student will complete 3 Group Discussions in this course. The student will post a thread of at least 300–400 words and post replies to all small group discussion members of at least 150–250 words each in the following module. For each thread, the student must show evidence of comprehension of the materials in the text readings through argument. Mere agreement or disagreement is not sufficient. Arguments must be presented in answer to the questions posed. Further, in the post for all initial Group Discussion thread, the student must refer specifically—through paraphrase, summary, or quotation—to content from the readings.

In the small Group Discussions, the student is expected to read and reply to all of the posts of his/her classmates in the small group. Remember, these questions are for discussion precisely because there may be no clear-cut, correct answers. Each of the peer replies must be supported by citations from the assigned readings and/or outside scholarly works. All sources used should be cited in current APA or MLA format for the threads and replies. Note: Review the Late Assignment Policy located in the syllabus for group assignments and discussions.

Politics of Pronouns Short Essay Assignment

The student will write a short response to address how culture influences use and understanding of language, particularly pronouns. This assignment should be completed within 400–500 words. The paper should be in narrative form and answer the provided questions. It is an expectation that you will use and properly document readings from within the course as source citations for the paper and use at least 2 other sources outside of the course. Ensure that you use current APA or MLA format. Submit your paper in MS Word or PDF file format.

English Language History & Conquest Assignments (2)

This paper will be completed in 2 parts, focusing on the history of the development of the English language and then its implementation/imposition on other cultures to shape world order from the infancy of the English language to the post-colonial era.

English Language: History & Conquest Thesis, Outline and Working Bibliography Assignment

This assignment will require the student to develop a thesis statement of 1-3 full sentences, a logical and systematic outline of main and secondary points that support the thesis claim, and a working annotated bibliography with at least 8 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. As an annotated bibliography, the student must summarize the main ideas of each source. There is no established word count for this phase as the 3 required components will likely vary in length. The assignment should follow current APA or MLA format.

English Language: History & Conquest Final Draft Assignment

This assignment is the research paper itself in final, polished version. The paper will incorporate all of the research, writing, and editing that has been independently produced. The paper must be at least 2,500 words, exclusive of front matter, bibliography, and any appendices. It must cite the course texts but should also incorporate information from a minimum of 8 outside scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. The paper must follow current APA or MLA format and must be submitted as a Microsoft Word or PDF document.

English as a Lingua Franca Assignments (2)

This paper will be written in 2 parts. The first part will include a thesis, an outline, and a working annotated bibliography. The second part will be a final draft that will incorporate all of the research, writing, and editing the student produces after the course instructor approves the first part. Questions to guide the research inquiry are provided in the course. 

English as Lingua Franca: Thesis, Outline, and Working Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The assignment will require the student to develop a thesis statement of 1-3 full sentences, a logical and systematic outline of main and secondary points that support the thesis claim, and a working annotated bibliography with at least 12 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. As an annotated bibliography, the student must summarize the main ideas of each source. There is no established word count for this phase as the 3 required components will likely vary in length. The assignment should follow current APA or MLA format.

English as Lingua Franca: Final Draft Assignment

The assignment is the research paper itself in final, polished version. The paper will incorporate all the research, writing, and editing independently produced. The paper must be at least 3,500 words, exclusive of front matter, bibliography, and any appendices. The final paper must demonstrate answers to questions of the sort laid out in the assignment instructions using evidence from course texts and additional peer-reviewed research. The paper must follow current APA or MLA format and must be submitted as a Microsoft Word or PDF document.