Using Diachronic Linguistics in the Language Classroom

Abstract

This article argues that knowledge of the historical background of a language can be profitably integrated into its teaching at the elementary and intermediate levels. The use of diachronic linguistics is illustrated in the teaching of first‐year college French. In the first section, the rationale for using diachronic linguistics in the language classroom is presented. The second and third parts of the paper are devoted to specific applications of historical linguistics drawn from French; these encompass orthography, vocabulary, morphology, and syntax.