English Isn't Crazy! The Elements of Our Language and How to Teach Them
by Diana Hanbury King
"An excellent read for any literature or English teacher. Mrs. King presents history in a concise and easy-to-read format including helpful hints to why English drives us all nuts!"
~Jennifer Lewis
by Diana Hanbury King
"An excellent read for any literature or English teacher. Mrs. King presents history in a concise and easy-to-read format including helpful hints to why English drives us all nuts!"
~Jennifer Lewis
History of English Without the Yawn
English Isn't Crazy by Diana King is a concise and practical history of the English language. King follows the development of English starting at the Celtic contributions of words starting with Mc (McDonalds). The Romans, whose empire reached theentire known world of their day, had very little impact on our language. The same cannot be said of the Anglo-Saxons- the greatest contributors to English. This people group group gave us the elements of case, number, and gender. 1066 is the date marking the transition from Old English to Middle English. The Greek and Latin influences upon English were felt during the Classical Revival. Medical and scientific terminology came from this time period. During the 1500s a gradual shift was made from Middle English toward Modern English. During this time, what scholars refer to the Great Vowel Shift occurred. This shift still influences our spelling rules. It was during this time period that a great push was made by William Tyndale to publish a translation of the Bible that the common plowboy could read. Shortly after Tyndale's death, the beloved William Shakespeare was born. Other famous writers during this time include John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe,Jonathan Swift, and Alexander Pope. Finally, King ends her book with a chapter entitled "American English" (King, p. 77). This helpful chapter reminds the educator that our modern English language is a fluid and ever growing and changing language. Our language will continue to expand and change as long as immigrants are welcomed and technological advances are encouraged. These two elements have not only made our country great, but has also made our language one of most interesting to study and teach. King intertwines the history of our language with practical tips for teaching, making this book one of great use for the educator.
In the appendixes King explains how the influences of past and present people groups on our language affect the way educators teach subject-specific and/or more advanced terminology to students. Appendix A explains a dictionary etymology activity and includes a list of words to use with upper elementary, middle school, and high school students. Etymologies of last names, months of the year, and idiomatic phrases are also explained. This appendix will be helpful to grab when students ask about higher level terminology. A basic, yet helpful, introduction on the teaching of Latin and Greek affixes includes an explanation of grade-level language elements, why prefixes change spellings in various words, and how spellings within words can be changed as you add suffixes in Appendix C and D. This appendix will be particularly helpful in preparing Orton-Gillingham lessons for my older students. King goes on to explain the teaching of Germanic and French elements in our language with easy- to-read bulleted points. Again, this a great source to have on my shelf in the preparation of specific lessons and to answer questions that arise during class. In the last appendix, King lists a comparison of Anglo-Saxon, Latin, and Greek words which is extremely helpful for my remedial classes. In these classes I have students from middle school and high school working on higher level math, science, and history. Students with learning disabilities need memory pegs in their learning and the information that King provides makes crating those memory pegs simpler. King packs a lot of practical instructional tips and advice into the appendixes, and these pages will be well-worn soon.
King presents a handy history for the busy classroom teacher. Each chapter is concise and practical. This book will be in a readily available spot in my classroom as I work with my middle schools and high school students.
by Jennifer Lewis
English Isn't Crazy by Diana King is a concise and practical history of the English language. King follows the development of English starting at the Celtic contributions of words starting with Mc (McDonalds). The Romans, whose empire reached theentire known world of their day, had very little impact on our language. The same cannot be said of the Anglo-Saxons- the greatest contributors to English. This people group group gave us the elements of case, number, and gender. 1066 is the date marking the transition from Old English to Middle English. The Greek and Latin influences upon English were felt during the Classical Revival. Medical and scientific terminology came from this time period. During the 1500s a gradual shift was made from Middle English toward Modern English. During this time, what scholars refer to the Great Vowel Shift occurred. This shift still influences our spelling rules. It was during this time period that a great push was made by William Tyndale to publish a translation of the Bible that the common plowboy could read. Shortly after Tyndale's death, the beloved William Shakespeare was born. Other famous writers during this time include John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe,Jonathan Swift, and Alexander Pope. Finally, King ends her book with a chapter entitled "American English" (King, p. 77). This helpful chapter reminds the educator that our modern English language is a fluid and ever growing and changing language. Our language will continue to expand and change as long as immigrants are welcomed and technological advances are encouraged. These two elements have not only made our country great, but has also made our language one of most interesting to study and teach. King intertwines the history of our language with practical tips for teaching, making this book one of great use for the educator.
In the appendixes King explains how the influences of past and present people groups on our language affect the way educators teach subject-specific and/or more advanced terminology to students. Appendix A explains a dictionary etymology activity and includes a list of words to use with upper elementary, middle school, and high school students. Etymologies of last names, months of the year, and idiomatic phrases are also explained. This appendix will be helpful to grab when students ask about higher level terminology. A basic, yet helpful, introduction on the teaching of Latin and Greek affixes includes an explanation of grade-level language elements, why prefixes change spellings in various words, and how spellings within words can be changed as you add suffixes in Appendix C and D. This appendix will be particularly helpful in preparing Orton-Gillingham lessons for my older students. King goes on to explain the teaching of Germanic and French elements in our language with easy- to-read bulleted points. Again, this a great source to have on my shelf in the preparation of specific lessons and to answer questions that arise during class. In the last appendix, King lists a comparison of Anglo-Saxon, Latin, and Greek words which is extremely helpful for my remedial classes. In these classes I have students from middle school and high school working on higher level math, science, and history. Students with learning disabilities need memory pegs in their learning and the information that King provides makes crating those memory pegs simpler. King packs a lot of practical instructional tips and advice into the appendixes, and these pages will be well-worn soon.
King presents a handy history for the busy classroom teacher. Each chapter is concise and practical. This book will be in a readily available spot in my classroom as I work with my middle schools and high school students.
by Jennifer Lewis