Studying the English Language

Praise for the second edition: 'Very clear, and well done. Rob Penhallurick's discussion of work I am familiar with seemed to me very accurate, a lucid introduction to leading ideas in these areas of the study of language' - Professor Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 'This is a multi-audience and multi-purpose book that can be advertised for its various features and strengths. It's longer not because it is saying more and more about the same things but because it now engages with the full field of studying English language and linguistics, and makes sense of a great deal of complex theorising as well as history and everyday examples'- Martin Coyle, Cardiff University, UK 'A comprehensive overview of the subject, peppered with entertaining anecdotes that make Penhallurick's academic points beautifully clear and the book as a whole very easy to read. Covering virtually all aspects of the study of the English language, from the history of English to language policy and planning, what I particularly like about the book is how rooted it is in the history of linguistics. Student readers, therefore, will gain not just a thorough grounding in methods and issues in the study of the English language, but a clear sense of how the subject has developed over the years and why it is important to study it. I recommend the book wholeheartedly for anyone wanting a comprehensive introductory text for an undergraduate course in English Language' -Dan McIntyre in Language and Literature 20(4), 2011

In this lively and engaging textbook, Rob Penhallurick introduces readers to the diversity and history of the English language, and to relevant contemporary and classic work in linguistics.

In this lively and engaging textbook, Rob Penhallurick introduces readers to the diversity and history of the English language, and to relevant contemporary and classic work in linguistics. Organised into eighteen thematic chapters, each of which can be read in one sitting, it covers topics such as the effects of dialect and accent on identity, swearing and offensive names in English, language and gender, language planning and theories about the origin of language. Chapters are full of entertaining examples, illustrations and suggestions for further reading.

This is an ideal companion for all those new to the study of the English language, and essential reading for anyone with a general interest in the subject.