ENGL 372 | Global Englishes

Students learn how English works in various parts of the world--how it got to be the way it is, how it functions in relation to local histories, and how it enhances and impedes communication.Currently, the majority of people who use English as a language for work, school, and daily communication learned English as a second or foreign language. Through reading linguistic theory about global Englishes, case studies of how English usage has shaped and been shaped by local cultures, and literary examples of various global Englishes, students become familiar with the complexity of the language that may seem to come naturally to Americans. Students leave this course better equipped to navigate situations requiring cross-cultural communication at the university and beyond. The class engages in focused analysis of English in Taiwan, one country where English is rapidly being adopted (and adapted). The class considers Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy and explores what the stories of English in other places in the world suggest might happen in Taiwan. Following the conclusion of the semester, students will have the opportunity to visit Taiwan together with an associated EXLN summer course.