The English language has a rich history, a heritage which is ours as English-speakers. In this course, students will see how events in British history have influenced British literature and the English language itself.

Students will demonstrate awareness of the development of British literature as reflected in the works of

• the Anglo-Saxon period
• the middle ages
• the English renaissance
• the seventeenth century
• the eighteenth century
• the Romantics

Students will learn about the historical context of each time period and read significant works from each period which may include Beowulf and works by Chaucer (selected Canterbury Tales), Malory, Shakespeare (Hamlet), Donne, Milton, Defoe, Swift, Jonson, Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Austen, etc.

Students will broaden their academic vocabulary and develop their research, essay writing, public-speaking, and group-working skills.