History of English: A Resource Book for Students

Routledge English Language Introductions

by Dan McIntyre

Routledge English Language Introductions cover core areas of language study and are a one-stop resources for students.



Assuming no prior knowledge, books in the series offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings - all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible 'two-dimensional' structure is built around four sections - introduction, development, exploration and extension - which offer self-contained stages for study. Each topic can also be read across these sections, enabling the reader to build gradually on the knowledge gained.



This revised second edition of History of English includes:





a comprehensive introduction to the history of English covering the origins of English, the change from Old to Middle English, and the influence of other languages on English;



increased coverage of key issues, such as the standardisation of English;



a wider range of activities, plus answers to exercises;



new readings from well-known authors such as Manfred Krug, Colette Moore, Merja Stenroos and David Crystal;



a timeline of important external events in the history of English.



Structured to reflect the chronological development of the English language, History of English describes and explains the changes in the language over a span of 1500 years, covering all aspects from phonology and grammar, to register and discourse. In doing so, it incorporates examples from a wide variety of texts and provides an interactive and structured textbook that will be essential reading for all students of English language and linguistics.

Genres: Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2008

Reviews

[Vesper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for anyone interested in the English language and its development, presented both from a linguistic and historical perspective. The book is written in an entertaining way with a nice balance between the different approaches to the topics. Also features "classroom activities" that guide the reader to think deeper on the subject. I first read it as a freshman at university and didn't find it jarring or overly complicated like many other textbooks. Easy to understand and suitable for people with no prior experience in the field of linguistics as well.

[Sadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a history fan, but learning how the English language came to be was entertaining. I mostly read sections A-C of the book and left out section D for my professor to explain. But otherwise, it's a very accessible text that describes the internal and external factors pertaining to the development of the language.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a mixture of linguistic theory and history. I read it as part of my undergraduste course, taught by Dr McIntyre himself. His easy to follow lectures and seminars are refleced in the book, which I feel follows a logical structure and includes evidence that a beginner such as myself could follow. As a historian I also appreciated the inclusion of the historial context to the changes outlined and explained in the book.

[Kuu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the way this book was set up - dealing with the periods by topic rather than strictly chronologically -, even though it made working on assignments a pain sometimes. It gave a good overview over not only the purely linguistic factors, but also the rough history and what (might have) led to those changes. Definitely made me want to look into the topic some more.

[Van Anh]

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