Whilst maintaining the accessibility for the beginner, the level of this second edition has been raised by the addition of much more detail, a greater focus on theories and controversies, and a clearer route to key works in the field. History of English:

• examines the history of the English language in order to explain the English that is used today
• introduces key linguistic concepts
•  provides ‘discussion points’ to generate debate
•  involves readers in collecting and analyzing their own data
•  contains a ‘mini-corpus’ of texts, used for exercises and to illustrate points raised in the commentary.

Revised throughout, this updated edition contains a new internet resource section and an updated further reading section, to help readers take their study further.