ENG 280 - The Nature of Language

Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course is an investigation of the historical background and current status of the English language, including problems such as the changing nature of language, dialect differences, origins of standards for correctness and attempts to describe the language grammatically.

Prerequisites: ENG 101 with a minimum grade of 2.0 or minimum score of 22 ACT-English, 29 SAT-Writing and Language, 108 CPT-Sentence Skills or 276 NGA-Writing.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: ENG 102 and college-level reading.

Course Category: Liberal Arts | Humanities
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.

This Course is Typically Offered: As Needed
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Course Competencies

Explore the definitions of language through its various components.
Explore the sounds and spelling of current English.
Explain the three major grammars of English.
Identify the main historical events in the development of the English language, including its origins in Indo-European and development into Old English, Middle English and Modern English.
Illustrate changes in words and meanings over time.
Analyze various region-based dialects of English.
Compare the main areas of difference between British and American English.
Explain the forms and syntax of English.
Explore through research the social, political, economic and human implications of language and its use and interpretations.