How English Works

A major introductory language/linguistics textbook written specifically for English and Education majors,How English Worksis an engaging introduction to the structure of English, general theories in linguistics, and important issues in sociolinguistics. This accessible text provides more extensive coverage of issues of particular interest to English and Education majors. Tapping into our natural curiosity about language, it invites all students to connect academic linguistics to everyday use of the English language and to become active participants in the construction of linguistic knowledge. The second edition provides updated examples of current language change, including new slang, as well as new research findings on American dialects, language acquisition, language evolution, eggcorns, English and the Internet, and much more. FEATURES o Focuses on issues especially important to English and Education majors,such as American dialects, descriptive and prescriptive approaches to English grammar, the social and political issues surrounding the English language, English spelling, stylistics, language attitudes, and language education. o Provides current examplesthat tie the linguistic material to students' everyday experiences with the English language. Each chapter opens with a scenario that highlights key issues covered in the chapter. o Includes engaging exercisesthat allow students to be active investigators of the English language, connect linguistic study to literary examples, and ask students to apply material to teaching situations. o Features a building block approach,beginning with an introduction to the foundations of systematic language study and the relationship of language and authority and then progressing up through the levels of language structure, from phonology through syntax and semantics to discourse and sociolinguistics. In the second edition, each chapter even more clearly shows how these levels are interrelated. o Provides a history of Englishthroughout the text, which culminates in two final chapters focused on the past and future of English. o Includes a wealth of useful pedagogical material,clarifying or detailing text topics and prompting student participation: Questions to Discuss, Scholar Profile, and Language Change and Language Variation at Work boxes; end-of-chapter exercises; suggested readings; and a glossary of linguistic terminology. Visit us at www.pearsonhighered.comCurzan, Anne is the author of 'How English Works', published 2008 under ISBN 9780205605507 and ISBN 0205605508.