Periodization: An evolving discipline, an evolving curriculum

This chapter seeks to engage with periodization of the history of English from a pedagogical perspective. We take up two main themes which a teacher of HEL should give some consideration, especially at the start of the course. Firstly, the students should be made aware that any divisions imposed on continuous phenomena are arbitrary and the rationale behind such divisions should be carefully explored. Secondly, the evolving character of the discipline not only brings about new findings but also novel ways of looking at language history and language change, which poses new challenges for traditional approaches to language periodization. We interrogate the applications and applicability of various periodization schemes and close the discussion with practical suggestions for teachers.