A Little Book Of Language

Product Description

With a language disappearing every two weeks & neologisms springing up almost daily an understanding of the origins & currency of language has never seemed more relevant In this charming volume a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging A Little Book of Language ranges widely revealing language's myriad intricacies & quirks In animated fashion Crystal sheds light on the development of unique linguistic styles the origins of obscure accents & the search for the first written word He discusses the plight of endangered languages as well as successful cases of linguistic revitalization Much more than a history Crystal's work looks forward to the future of language exploring the effect of technology on our day-to-day reading writing & speech Through enlightening tables diagrams & quizzes as well as Crystal's avuncular & entertaining style A Little Book of Language will reveal the story of language to be a captivating tale for all ages