What Is English?

Tim Machan explores the nature of English present and past, and its role in shaping the identity of those who speak it. He pursues his object through episodes in its history around the globe, from Caxton to Churchill and from rural America to colonial Australia. This is a book for everyone interested in English and the role of language in society.

Tim Machan is Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame. His books include English in the Middle Ages and Language Anxiety published by Oxford University Press in 2003 and 2009 respectively.

Part One: The Consequences of Definition
1: The River of English
Part Two: English by the Books
2: Words in the Shape of English
3: When Words Die
4: Space and Time
5: The Genius of our Tongue
Part Three: English in Action
6: English for the English
7: Beyond Britain
8: English in the South Seas
9: English in the Classroom, I: American Indian Boarding Schools
10: English in the Classroom, II: Industrial English
11: The English-speaking Peoples
Part Four: Beyond English
12: Defining Moments
Notes
Bibliography
Index