This course is designed to introduce students to the historical development of the English Language. Semester I will include the study of literary and non-literary texts in English, produced at various stages of its development. Students will be instructed in the use of the main tools for the exploration, analysis, and description of language from a historical perspective. Semester II will include the study of the linguistic processes arising from the development of English and of contemporary and present-day attitudes towards them, using a combination of primary and secondary texts.