Research Guides: ENGL 3040: The History of the English Language: Topic Inspiration

Where Do I Find Topic Ideas?

Linguistics and English Language Podcasts

These podcasts discuss a wide variety of topics from technical topics like morphology (the structure of words) and other linguistics topics to etymology (word histories), language change, and so much more!

David Crystal Podcast Appearances
British linguist David Crystal is a frequent guest on podcasts about language and linguistics.
History of England
"I’ve loved and lived with the story of the history of the English for as long as I can remember. This is my retelling of that story, in a regular, chronological podcast; we go from the cataclysmic end of Roman Britain, and at some point will get all the way through to the present day. The History of England is available on iTunes and a podcatcher near you." —Host David Crowther
History of English Podcast
Kevin Stroud researches and hosts this in-depth podcast on English's history, features, and related topics.
Lingthusiasm
"A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. A lively, deep, language-y conversation with real linguists!" —From the site
Way With Words
"A fun radio show and podcast about language examined through family, history, and culture." —From the site. This show primarily discusses the English language.

Issues in English

This list is a sampling of books we have on current debates about English and its history. Many more can be found in our collection using the instructions below this box.

Because Internet (Print Book) by Gretchen McCulloch
Publication Date: 2019
A linguistically informed look at how our digital world is transforming the English language. Language is humanity's most spectacular open-source project, and the internet is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. Internet conversations are structured by the shape of our apps and platforms, from the grammar of status updates to the protocols of comments and @replies. Linguistically inventive online communities spread new slang and jargon with dizzying speed. What's more, social media is a vast laboratory of unedited, unfiltered words where we can watch language evolve in real time. Even the most absurd-looking slang has genuine patterns behind it. Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch explores the deep forces that shape human language and influence the way we communicate with one another.
Dictionary Wars (Print Book) by Peter Martin
Publication Date: 2019
In The Dictionary Wars, Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
Globish (Print Book) by Robert McCrum
Publication Date: 2010
It seems impossible: a small island in the North Atlantic, colonized by Rome, then pillaged for hundreds of years by marauding neighbors, becomes the dominant world power in the nineteenth century. Equally unlikely, a colony of that island nation, across the Atlantic, grows into the military and cultural colossus of the twentieth century. How? By the sword, of course; by trade and industrial ingenuity; but principally, and most surprisingly, by the power of their common language. In this provocative and compelling new look at the course of empire, Robert McCrum...shows how the language of the Anglo-American imperium has become the world's lingua franca.
Talking Back, Talking Black (Ebook) by John McWhorter
Publication Date: 2017
Linguists have been studying Black English as a speech variety for years, arguing to the public that it is different from Standard English, not a degradation of it. Yet false assumptions and controversies still swirl around what it means to speak and sound “black.” In his first book devoted solely to the form, structure, and development of Black English, John McWhorter clearly explains its fundamentals and rich history while carefully examining the cultural, educational, and political issues that have undermined recognition of this transformative, empowering dialect.

Finding Books

This list is only a starting point of commonly used books in this area, not a complete list of library books on the subject. To find other books on this subject, use the search box on the library's homepage. To find other books on this subject, use the search box on the library's homepage. The search box defaults to OneSearch. To look for books, toggle over to Books. This will limit your search to books and ebooks.

Finding Books: UVU Fulton Library Homepage
Use the search box on the library's homepage to search for more books. Enter a few search terms, a title, or an author into the box, then hit enter or click the magnifying glass. Once your search runs, you can filter your results by clicking the All Filters button, located just below the search box.

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