History of English will provide students with the historical and contextual background to the study of English and answers the questions of why and how the English language has come to be written and spoken as it is today. This book provides a fresh perspective and innovative insight into an area that is often dealt with in a prosaic and dry manner.

History of English covers:

-the origins of English and how it came to be spoken in the British Isles -the change from Old to Middle English -the influence of other languages on the development of English -the standardization of the language -the expansion of English into the global 'super-language' that it is today.

Whilst providing a general understanding of the development of English it will also describe and explain the changes that occurred within the language at all linguistic levels – phonology, grammar, semantics and pragmatics, as well as considering changes in orthography, register and discourse. Recent developments in the history of English will be addressed and this book will also look at international varieties of English. History of English is essential reading for all students of English language and linguistics.