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The Story of English in 100 Words - David Crystal
by zoe_page_1
Crystal is a god when it comes to language. I've known that since I was quoting him during English A Level, since my university studies, since my TEFL days when students ask 'Why?' and you need an answer other than 'Because'. This is his new book, but you don't need a degree in linguistics to find it fascinating, and in addition to the ... intriguing revelations and chummy writing style, it looks just lovely and would make a fab Christmas present.
Pegged as "a unique history of the English language via the rude, the obscure and the downright surprising" it certainly delivers on its promises. Focusing on 100 starter words (numbered so you don't feel obliged to count them to check they've not made a mistake), you can trace the development of the language from the 5th century to present day in neat chronological order. I say 'starter' words because although each entry is titled singularly as "roe" or "pork" or "dilly-dally", the descriptions and explanations expand to take in many other words associated with, or in some way derived from, said starter words. So, in the chapter entitled "Debt", we segue into other words with mismatched spelling and pronunciation such as "doubt" and "subtle", have a neat reference to Shakespeare, and conclude with evidence of a time when "fault" rhymed with "thought".
This isn't the sort of book I think you should read all in one go, because after a while it all gets blurry and less impressive. But read it a word or two at a time, maybe every night for 2 or 3 months, and you have a gift that just keeps on giving, with new and exciting revelations on every page. Each word in the contents has a mini description with it, which hints at the direction the chapter will take:
"Hello - progress through technology"
"Yogurt - a choice of spelling"
"Brunch -a portmanteau word"
This isn't a dictionary, normal or etymological and there's no guarantee that a particular word you're interested in will be featured. In fact, with just 100 hand-picked ones, some of which aren't massively used today, chances are it won't be there. As Crystal says at the start, you might choose 100 completely different words to examine the history of the language, and that wouldn't be wrong, but these are his ones. At the same time, the book is an excellent length, picking out the most unusual or entertaining examples. You could attempt it yourself by reading an old dictionary but you'd be wading through pages of bore for just a few gems - or you could benefit from the fact that Crystal has done this work for you.
For me as someone who only really began paying attention to language in the last decade, it was the most recent entries that captured my attention. As a Facebook fanatic I knew all about the concept of unfriending ...but it took this book to make me ponder why we don't say 'defriend' and also to arm me with suitable ammunition: next time anyone complains about the state of modern English I will now be informed enough to drop in a 'but of course words like 'unfriend' first appeared in Twelfth Night, so are hardly a new invention'.
The book made me question lots of things I'd never noticed before - like how funny a word "CD-ROM" is (pronounced half initials, half word), and ditto "JPEG". And why we more often have dinner ladies serving school lunches, than lunch ladies serving school dinners, and why, regardless, you might have a lunch box but you'd never have a dinner box. I had no idea that Escalator was once a brand name that's now fallen into generic use (like Hoover) or a dozen other things I gleaned from turning these pages.
For those who scoot straight to the dirty words in a dictionary, chapter 15 ("Arse") offers some entertainment, though the biggest eye-opener was the description of "arse over tip" - let's just say I always use it with a slightly different final consonant in the 3rd word. Chapter 24 ("a taboo word") may also delight.
Overall, this is a highly entertaining and informative book that is bursting with all those things you never knew you never knew. It's an easy read that's lovely and informal without being irritatingly familiar, would make a wonderful stocking filler and it going straight to the linguistics section of my bookshelf for a nice long stay. You'd have to be a fopdoodle not to give it a look. Quite simply, a remarkable book - but what else would you expect from a god?
This review first appeared on www.thebookbag.co.uk Amazon currently has it at almost half price, a bargain for a Christmas present.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1846684277
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English Knowhow Students Book 2 - Angela Blackwell
by ilovemycat
English Knowhow, published by Oxford University Press, is a series of textbooks for English as a Foreign Language (ESL) students. This review refers to Students Book Level 2, but a lot of the comments will cover the series as a whole.
Contents
The book is divided into 12 units of seven pages each. Each chapter has ... a slightly vague but topic-based title such as Making Sense (unit 2) and Stuff of Life (unit 5). The contents pages then break down each unit into its component parts, with page numbers for each activity. This is especially useful if you are "dipping in" to the book to find a supplementary activity for students studying something else.
The component parts of each unit are -
Topics/Vocabulary
Grammar
Functions (practical English such as giving directions)
Listening/Speaking
Reading/Writing
"Knowhow" (a quirky section designed to be specific to this textbook range, although it only covers things such as sentence stress, common vowel sounds and intonation patterns).
The Units
Each unit is seven pages long. They start out with an introductory activity (usually a reading) then follow up with a focus on grammar section. From here there is sometimes an additional usage practice section or another reading, some skills work and a section on "English in Action". The content is pretty interesting (the readings cover real topics such as Eccentricity, Types of Friends, Crazy Inventions, and Text Messaging). Any textbook where I actually learn something new (as the teacher) gets a thumbs up from me, as does one that doesn't overly rely on pop culture to create interest, as these kinds of books have a shorter shelf-life. There are a few articles on famous people, such as Willie Nelson, or memory artist Franko Magnani, but none on current pop icons. Articles on the likes of Gaga, Backstreet Boys or Wayne Rooney are a massive turn off for me as two years down the line the book will be out of fashion and effectively useless. Thankfully this book doesn't go there.
Other content
The book has as section at the back called Keep on Talking (kind of obvious as to the content) which is quite useful, as well as a grammar reference section, the tapescripts for the listening activities (very important for teachers who don't want to shell out 40 pounds on a teachers' book or set of class CDs). There's also an irregular verbs table and a vocabulary list by unit.
Grammar content specific to Student's Book 2
So/neither
Gerunds/infinitives
Present/past continuous
Still/yet/already + present perfect
Relative clauses
Phrasal verbs
Tag questions
Passives
Used to
Should/have to
Reported requests
Second conditional
Usage
I have found that this book, while designed for adults is also useful for older teenagers. The readings in particular have a high degree of interest and there are more writing exercises in the units themselves compared to many textbooks. However, there are a lot of open speaking activities, which are difficult to use with groups of teenagers, as anyone who has gone into a public school classroom and said something like "discuss the questions on page 15 in groups" will know. The students will sit around gossiping or stare blankly into space! Definitely this book is best used in small groups.
Overall
This is a pretty decent textbook. It is a little "text-heavy" in places, and while lots of coloured boxes and pretty fonts might help to disguise this, they don't work as well as pictures and a few more definitely wouldn't go amiss. Still, like all books published by Oxford University Press it is colourful and pretty well designed. I use it in one class and the students like it, although there are only three of them. I chose it because they're retired and this book is a little easier to get through that something like Headway, English for Life or Natural English. Students like to see progression and if you only have one lesson a week it can take years to get through one book. Its pretty demoralizing to still be on page 10 after studying for six months. However, this book is just light enough to get through at a decent rate.
Textbooks cost about 15 pounds (you can get a free students' book sample if you go to the OUP website
Teachers's book, CDs, and workbook are also available.
May appear on other review sites.
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