What kind of English are we dealing with?
- strong focus on British/American literature- however we are also dealing with local and historical varieties of English
What is a register?
- is a form of language used in a specific social setting or for a particular purpose- non-standard varieties are registers
What is switching registers called?
Code-Switching
Narrow understanding of Literature
- only established canon is literature which consists mainly of old dead male authors
Broad understanding of literature
- open canon, also female, black authors etc.
Three main genres of literature
poetry, drama, narrative
Reasons for analysing literature
- is a form of cultural self-reflection- makes us think beyond our own life (theory of mind)- form of imaginary time travel
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
- most important dictionary of English language- articles on all former and present words in English- shows variants (different ways of spelling a word) and etymology behind a word, shows examples of use
Etymology
history of words, their origin and their meanings
Canon
- collection of literary works considered important for a society- revision of the canon since the 1960s
2 key forces behind revision of the canon
1. Feminism2. Postcolonial Studies