230556 National Varieties of English (S) (WiSe 2006/2007)

English is a language spoken all over the world as a mother tongue by some 300 million people on five continents. Furthermore, as a large number of countries have English as one of their official languages, at least the same number of people use English as a second language. In this seminar we will have a closer look at some of these national varieties of English. This will include the analysis and description of their similarities and differences in terms of phonology, vocabulary, syntax, and pragmatics.

Seminar work will be based on recordings and texts representing different national varieties and will be supported by a variety of background literature. Participants should be able to deal with phonetic transcription and have an understanding of basic linguistic methods and theories.

Credit will be based on regular attendance, active participation, and individual work in the form of a (group) project and presentation or a final exam.

A reserved reading shelf will be available.