Social History of English

A Social History of English is the first history of the English language to utilize the techniques, insights and concerns of sociolinguistics. Written in a non-technical way, it takes into account standardization, pidginization, bi- and multilingualism, the issues of language maintenance and language loyalty, and linguistic variation.
This new edition has been fully revised. Additions include: * new material about 'New Englishes' across the world
* a new chapter entitled 'A Critical Linguistic History of English Texts'
* a discussion of problems involved in writing a history of English
All terms and concepts are explained as they are introduced, and linguistic examples are chosen for their accessibility and intelligibility to the general reader.
It will be of interest to students of Sociolinguistics, English Language, History and Cultural Studies.

..."most welcome--a readable, non-technical explanation of the 'external' history of our language. At the same time, the reader will learn a good deal about the changes to the language itself. The book is an excellent anti-dote to all one hears about what a wonderful language English is, and how its virtues have led to its being so widely adopted."
-"Times Literary Supplement