Why Is English Like That?

Historical Answers to Hard ELT Questions

By: Norbert Schmitt, Richard Marsden

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Paperback | 10 February 2006

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256 Pages

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Why is "night" spelled with "gh"? Why can't sentences end with prepositions? Why does English have so many words that express the same ideas? Questions like these can be difficult for teachers to answer when they do not know the historical background of the English language. Why Is English Like That? gives teachers a brief and accessible history of the English without assuming any prior knowledge of the subject.

The book outlines the historical events that shaped English; describes how its grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation developed over time; and highlights the "quirks" and "exceptions" in English that can be explained on a historical basis. By understanding how the English of today evolved from the English of past times, both teachers and students will be more comfortable with the many conventions of the English language.

Why Is English Like That? also contains reproducible grammar and vocabulary exercises that will help teachers incorporate some of this historical knowledge into classroom activities. This book was written with English language teachers in mind, and the exercises are designed for ESL/EFL students, but it may also be used by teachers in training (L1 and L2).

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Non-Fiction Teaching English (ELT)ELT Learning Material & Coursework Language & Linguistics Linguistics Historical & Comparative Linguistics ELT Background & Reference Material ELT Teaching Theory & Methods Education Teaching of Specific Groups with Special Educational Needs Teaching of Students with English as a Second Language TESOL

Preface	p. v
Guide to the Phonetic Symbols Used in This Book	p. x
Why English? Why Are We Teaching English and Not Some Other Language?
The Importance of English in the World Today	p. 1
How English Became a Global Language	p. 9
English's Strengths and Weaknesses as a Language	p. 9
Further Reading	p. 12
The Importance of English in Today's World	p. 13
How Does English Compare to Other Languages?	p. 14
English Use around the World	p. 15
A Brief History of the English Language: A Language Evolves in a Changing World	p. 16
Before English	p. 17
Old English (c. 450-1100)	p. 20
Middle English (c. 1100-1500)	p. 26
Early Modern English (c. 1500-1700)	p. 30
Modern English (c. 1700-Present Day)	p. 33
Further Reading	p. 38
The Development of English	p. 40
English Grammar: Why Are There So Many Irregular Forms in English Grammar?	p. 42
What Is Grammar?	p. 42
Describing Grammar	p. 44
Irregularities in Morphology	p. 48
Irregularities in Syntax	p. 63
Modern Changes in Grammar	p. 72
Further Reading	p. 74
Irregular Verbs in English	p. 75
Irregular Plural Nouns in English	p. 77
English Vocabulary: Why Are There So Many Words, and Where Did They Come From?	p. 78
The Size of the English Lexicon	p. 78
The Origins of the Modern English Lexicon	p. 80
English Words That Have Been Created	p. 92
Conclusion	p. 100
Further Reading	p. 101
Old English Vocabulary in Today's English	p. 102
Where Did Old English Vocabulary Come From?	p. 103
Where Did English Vocabulary Come From?	p. 104
Classroom Handout: A List of Useful Latin Prefixes	p. 105
The Vocabulary Levels Test	p. 106
The Sounds of English: Why Does the Pronunciation of English Vary, and Why Doesn't It Always Match the Spelling?	p. 111
Variation in the Pronunciation of English	p. 111
Mismatches between Pronunciation and Spelling in English	p. 112
Describing the Sounds of English	p. 113
Why Does Pronunciation Change?	p. 121
Historical Sound Change and Its Effect on Modern English Pronunciation	p. 128
Accent	p. 136
Further Reading	p. 142
When Did Words Come into English?	p. 144
Find the Silent Letter	p. 146
Many Spellings for One Sound	p. 148
The Spelling of English: How Did the Writing System of English Develop?	p. 150
The Origins of the English Alphabet	p. 150
The Standardization of English Spelling	p. 156
Changing the Spellings of Words	p. 162
Further Reading	p. 167
Comparing British and American English (Spelling)	p. 169
English around the World: How Is English Different in Various Countries around the World?	p. 171
The Uniformity of English around the World	p. 171
Standard English	p. 173
The Three Circles of Global English Usage	p. 178
What Are the Differences between American and British English?	p. 180
English in Non Native-Speaking Countries	p. 192
Further Reading	p. 200
Comparing British and American English (Vocabulary)	p. 202
Comparing Different Kinds of English	p. 204
English in the Future: Where Is English Going?	p. 207
Will English Become More Uniform, or Will It Fragment in the Future?	p. 207
Will English Continue to Be a Prominent World Language?	p. 211
What Will English Look Like in the Future?	p. 214
Further Reading	p. 216
Endnotes	p. 217
Teacher's Notes and Answers to the Classroom Exercises	p. 226
Index	p. 243
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Why Is English Like That?

Historical Answers to Hard ELT Questions

At a Glance

Paperback

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How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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