Distance Learning Options for Modern English History

Through a study of the changing English language, students learn to recognize the shift from Elizabethan English to what we know of today as modern English. Most opportunities to study modern English history are standalone courses online and in bricks-and-mortar universities.

Options for Modern English History

History Courses

Opportunities to learn modern English history through distance learning courses may begin with these courses. Students find many schools offer online courses which provide a history of the English language and the time period in which the shift occurred. These courses generally follow a similar guideline from Old English to the early modern English and its standardization throughout many countries. Students may also study the Renaissance and Tudor England and how modern English came into fruition.

Sample Curriculum for History

• The History of the English Language
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Tudor and Stuart Britain
• Renaissance Literature

Literature Courses

In distance learning English literature classes, students will study modern English history as it pertains to literature. Students will study classic works of Modern English to get the scope the period of language covers. The Tudor period in England was when early English shifted into what is also known as Shakespearean English. Students may want to consider adding earlier literature classes for comparison purposes, such as studying Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales which was written in Middle English, the predecessor of Modern English.

Sample Curriculum for Literature

• Medieval English Literature
• Renaissance English Literature
• Shakespeare
• The Holy Bible as Literature

Other Options for Studying Modern English History

Some schools offer distance learning programs for individuals who wish to take uncommon courses or majors. Bachelor's and masters' degrees are offered through some of these colleges for arts, sciences and business, though students may also be able to take classes individually, without earning a degree at the end of their studies.
Whether the major is archiving, vampirology, Middle Eastern mythology or modern English history, students can meet with professors via e-mail or instant messenger platforms. Students and professors discuss the proper materials and courses that should be taken for a complete and interdisciplinary major.