Abstract

The study of the history of the English language can help students become aware of major issues in several academic fields, including history, literature, political science, anthropology, communication, economics, the Arts, and, of course, languages and linguistics. Even though instructors may not have an especially broad background in the Humanities, the students themselves bring their own set of interests to the course. The students’ curiosity for their already existing interests can be exploited to broaden the course and to help them see connections between methodologies and subjects. With carefully designed assignments - perhaps using the assistance of colleagues in other fields - an instructor can make a course in the history of the English language a catalyst for learning in a variety of academic areas