The English language: Structure and development By Stanley Hussey (review)

196 LANGUAGE, VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1 (1998) of the field. Furthermore, a number of chapters take a critical look at some central issues in the field such as the relationship between the teaching profession and applied linguistics (Mitchell), or between policy makers and sociolinguists studying language maintenance and shift (Edwards). Contributions such as those by O Laoire and Spoelders et al., that attempt to draw explicit comparisons between potentially similar situations in geographically and socially very different settings, constitute commendable efforts towards the much needed integration of research findings as identified by the editors. While on the face of it the present volume seems far too unfocused in the topics that it deals with (e.g. teaching methods, endangered languages, the L2 mental lexicon, code-switching, and media translation ), this diversity is really its strength, although the integration of the many facets of language in the real world that the volume deals with is still far off. I am sure that this volume will inspire researchers to try to draw the different strands together more than has been done before. [Annick De Houwer, Foundation for Scientific Research Flanders and University of Antwerp.] The English language: Structure and development . By Stanley Hussey. London & New York: Longman, 1995. Pp. xi, 188. This introductory text for those interested in the history of the English language is composed of six chapters (each of them followed by a set of exercises ), one appendix, and a glossary of linguistic terms. Ch. 1 (1-12) is designed primarily for an uninitiated reader. Using numerous illustrative examples it explains basic terminology from the realms of vocabulary, grammar, syntax, spelling, and pronunciation . Ch. 2 (13-47) discusses main issues connected with possible ways of enriching the lexicon of a language, both internal (word formation) and external (various types of word borrowing). Devoted to syntax, Ch. 3 (48-83) contains an overview of various types of English phrases and sentences. Ch. 4 (84-107) concentrates on the meaning of words, discussing semantic change, the basic notions of pragmatics, and problems involving cohesion. Ch. 5 (108-27) is concerned with English spelling and changes in English orthography. Finally, Ch. 6 (128-60) tackles the issue of standard language as opposed to dialect during the history of English. Intended as a popular introduction to the history of the English language, the book intersperses the text with definitions and frequently uses examples to illustrate more difficult points in the discussion. At the same time formal language and unnecessary theoretical issues are consistently avoided. On the whole this approach fulfills the intended purpose, yet there are places where too much has been sacrificed for the sake ofsimplicity. One such case is the discussion of changes in English pronunciation, which is scattered throughoutCh. 5 withoutmuch ofan organizing principle governing their choice. They are used primarily as an explanation for inconsistencies of modern spelling, yet even ifthis criterion is accepted, the list is selective, to say the least. Another problem with the linguistic presentation of the language is the excessive condensing of information . This is the more relevant when the issue in question could safely have been omitted altogether, as it serves no special need in the framework adopted for the book. One such case is the notion of the phoneme ; it is discussed in only one paragraph in Ch. 5 (109-10), leaving the problem virtually unexplained. At the same time, there is no doubt that these minor deficiencies are more than balanced by the general ease of presentation which makes H's book extremely readable as well as informative. In the contemporary vein it concentrates on the external rather than internal history of the language, outlining the development of English lexicography, various attitudes to foreign elements in vocabulary, and many other points connected with the leitmotifofthe book, which is the notion of correctness in language. Consequently , even if a historical linguist might grumble at certain choices made by the author, the book leaves the reader with a firm, if a bit chaotic, 'sense of both the structure of the language and much of its history' (xi), thus fulfilling its primary aim as stated in the introduction. [Marcin Krygier, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland.] The Nubian languages...