Language and Linguistics I- Rotten English: Voicing Differences in Poetry, Prose and Film

Module Description

This module explores literature written in ‘non-standard’ Englishes (a term encompassing language varieties including pidgins, creoles and dialects, but also ‘broken’, idiomatic and vernacular forms).  We consider a wide range of questions relating to linguistic difference and the politics of voice, from multiple cultural and theoretical perspectives. 

Module Objectives

Using the anthology Rotten English: A Literary Anthology (ed. Dora Ahmad), the first half of the module establishes relevant linguistic terms before turning to the history of English standardisation in the UK and some of the cultural- political frames through which non-standard, postcolonial and ‘minor’ literatures have been theorised. We then focus on a series of case studies from various parts of the English-speaking world, exploring political debates concerning authenticity, translation, innovation and tradition. Positioning localised ‘voices’ and codes within specific cultural and historical conditions, these case studies examine issues of orality, difference and representation, but also the aesthetic effects of non-standard writing. Students will be introduced to some of the key debates concerning tradition, identity and global Englishes, and have the opportunity to read, listen to and watch performances that will challenge us to rethink our understanding of English literature and its languages.