Practical English Usage


Michael Swan - 1981
    It contains short clear articles on all the grammatical problems which regularly cause difficulty to foreign learners. In addition, it deals with selected points of vocabulary, idiom, style, pronunciation and spelling. The main differences between British and American usage are also dealt with. Each entry contains an explanation of a problem, examples of correct usage, and - when this is useful - examples of typical mistakes.Special features of this book include:- simple and practical presentation- alphabetical arrangement of numbered entries- detailed index and cross-reference system- distinction between formal and informal usageA hardback edition is also available.

The TKT Course Modules 1, 2 and 3


Mary Spratt - 2011
    This book includes everything you need to prepare for the test. The revised second edition contains three brand new model TKT practice tests, new tips for preparing for the TKT, an additional unit on approaches to language teaching tested in the TKT, completely rewritten tasks in every unit, and revised ELT terms and concepts matching the latest Cambridge ESOL TKT Glossary. This best-selling course has been written in collaboration with Cambridge ESOL by a team of experienced TKT writers. It provides a comprehensive and reliable package for TKT candidates, as well as for teachers preparing for other initial teacher training qualifications and those on in-service training programmes.

How to Teach English


Jeremy Harmer - 1997
    Its emphasis is on practical issues and it is appropriate for self-study and for use with classes of trainee teachers. The early chapters address such issues as How can we be good teachers?, What makes a good learner? and how can teachers make classes better?. The book suggests a way of looking at a variety of teaching methods according to a single model of teaching and goes on to offer a concise theoretical guide to the description of language. Subsequent chapters look at specific teaching methods, particularly in relation to the four skills, as well as offering ideas on textbook use, lesson planning and coping with the unexpected. For each chapter a range of tasks is provided to stimulate debate and further thought.

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language


Steven Pinker - 1994
    With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English


Patricia T. O'Conner - 1996
    The bestselling grammar book has been updated and revised to include the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of English, and features a new chapter on the language of the Internet.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2: The Romantic Period through the Twentieth Century


M.H. AbramsKatharine Eisaman Maus - 1962
    Under the direction of Stephen Greenblatt, General Editor, the editors have reconsidered all aspects of the anthology to make it an even better teaching tool.

The Elements of Style


William Strunk Jr. - 1918
    Throughout, the emphasis is on promoting a plain English style. This little book can help you communicate more effectively by showing you how to enliven your sentences.

Language Change: Progress or Decay?


Jean Aitchison - 1980
    It considers both changes that occurred long ago, and those currently in progress. This substantially revised third edition includes two new chapters on change of meaning and grammaticalization. New sections have been added to other chapters, as well as over 150 new references. The work remains nontechnical in style and accessible to the reader with no previous knowledge of linguistics.

A Student's Grammar of the English Language


Sidney Greenbaum - 1991
    Although the structure of the parent volume has been preserved so that reference to it can easily be made, this grammar has been especially written to take into account the needs of advanced students of grammar in colleges and universities.

My Grammar and I... Or Should That Be Me?: How to Speak and Write It Right


Caroline Taggart - 2008
    Avoid Grammatical Minefields with this Entertaining GuideConfused about when to use "its" or "it's" or the correct spelling of "principal" and "principle"? My Grammar and I...or Should That Be me? is a refresher course for anyone who has ever been stumped by spelling confusion, dangling modifiers, split infinities, or for those who have no idea what these things even are.Clever, informative, and fun, this delightful little handbook offers practical and humorous guidance on how to avoid falling into language pitfalls.* Sentence Structure: Let's ponder the subject or object: Is it "I" or is it "me"?* Parts of Speech: "whose" or "who's"? "which" or "that"?* Punctuation: So where does that comma go, anyway?* Spelling and Confusables: There are times when the spelling "rules" confuse.* Elements of Style: You'll find there's lots more to know about grammar.* ...and for grammar know-it-alls, there are entertaining "Smart Aleck" tidbits throughout.

Introducing Sociolinguistics


Miriam Meyerhoff - 2006
    Users will be inspired by the breadth and sweep of Meyerhoff's treatment.' William Labov, University of Pennsylvania, USA'Miriam Meyerhoff s entertaining volume revels in the diversity that is the cornerstone of sociolinguistics she takes us to every continent to provide contemporary, refreshing and engaging examples of the key concepts of the discipline, and does so in a well-paced and readable style. The book is authoritative yet open-minded, innovative yet touches all the bases that need to be touched. Most of all, it embodies a passion for sociolinguistics that I hope many readers will embrace.' David Britain, University of Essex, UKThis key text provides a solid, up-to-date appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of the field. It covers foundation issues, recent advances and current debates presenting familiar or classic data in new ways, and supplementing the familiar with fresh examples from a wide range of languages and social settings. It clearly explains the patterns and systems that underlie language variation in use, as well as the ways in which alternations between different language varieties index personal style, social power and national identity.Individual chapters cover:social dialects and individual style language attitudes politeness multilingualism and language choice real time and apparent time change in language social class, social networks and communities of practice gender language and dialect contact.Each chapter includes exercises that enable readers to engage critically with the text, break out boxes making connections between sociolinguistics and linguistic or social theory, and brief, lively add-ons guaranteed to make the book a memorable and enjoyable read. With a full glossary of terms and suggestions for further reading, this text gives students all the tools they need for an excellent command of sociolinguistics."

Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society


Peter Trudgill - 1974
    Peter Trudgill examines the close link between language and society and the many factors that influence the way we speak. These range from gender, environment, age, race, class, region and politics. Trudgill's book surveys languages and societies from all over the world drawing on examples from Afrikaans to Yiddish. He has added a fascinating chapter on the development of a language as a result of a non-native speaker's use of it. Compelling and authoritative, this new edition of a bestselling book is set to redraw the boundaries of the study of sociolinguistics.

How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction


Anne Curzan - 2005
    This engaging introductory language/linguistics textbook provides more extensive coverage of issues of particular interest to English majors and future English instructors. It invites all students to connect academic linguistics to the everyday use of the English language around them. The book's approach taps students' natural curiosity about the English language. Through exercises and discussion questions about ongoing changes in English, How English Works asks students to become active participants in the construction of linguistic knowledge.

Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word


Walter J. Ong - 1982
    Ong offers fascinating insights into oral genres across the globe and through time, and examines the rise of abstract philosophical and scientific thinking. He considers the impact of orality-literacy studies not only on literary criticism and theory but on our very understanding of what it is to be a human being, conscious of self and other.This is a book no reader, writer or speaker should be without.

An Illustrated History of the USA


Bryn O'Callaghan - 1990
    It traces the history of the USA from the time of the Amerindians, through to the arrival of the Europeans, to the present day. Topics covered include colonial life, the Civil War and the American involvement in Vietnam.