How did the English language, described repeatedly as inadequate in the early poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, develop into a prestigious medium of communication? Today English is accepted as the international language of discourse, spoken by nearly one in every five people worldwide. How did English, once considered a vulgar Germanic tongue, become the ubiquitous language of global and digital communications? How does this early history of language inform our understanding of new literacies? Will digital communication, such as texting and blogging, accelerate language change? How should teachers, writers, and editors respond to this moving target? Through the investigation of English’s past, participants will begin to consider English’s future.
The H.E.L. club at UMass Boston is a place for students to meet and, in an informal and accommodating environment, consider the history of the English language. H.E.L. encourages a range of interpretations from native and non-native speakers and students from all academic backgrounds as we come together in collaboration and celebration of H.E.L.
The club is led by its president, Danielle Williams, a UMB Senior, and supported by English Department faculty members Alex Mueller and Stephanie Kamath, both of whom are medieval scholars. Many club members contribute to a blog known as ‘Harrowing HEL’, a title punning on a popular subject in Middle English drama:http://harrowinghel.blogspot.com/
Undergraduates can become official club members through the Student Activities website, www.clubs.umb.edu, but all UMB students are welcome. Interested students can contact Alex Mueller ([email protected]) or Danielle Williams ([email protected]). Future plans include inviting guest experts on English translation and adding books to the club’s eclectic collection, which has featured such works as David Crystal’s Txtng: the Gr8 Db8 (did you know ‘text’ as a verb first turns up in Shakespeare’s writing?) and M.T. Anderson’s Feed (imagine a world in which the Internet is “fed” directly into human brains, fostering a language of cyber-abbreviation!).