How Language Works

'The man is a national treasure' John Humphrys

David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has published over ninety books, most recently The Stories of English, and is the editor of The Penguin Encyclopaedia. In 1995, he was awarded the OBE for services to the English language. He lives in Holyhead, Anglesey.

In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we&rsquo;re from and even who we want to be.

The Shakespeare Miscellany

Why is there a curse on one of Shakespeare's plays

David Crystal is one of the most authoritative commentators on the English language. He is the author of the best-selling 'The English Language' and the editor of the 'Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language'. He lives in Anglesey, Wales. Ben Crystal, David's son, is an actor and lives in London (NW1).

This compilation, in the tradition of the Victorian miscellany, gathers together essential facts and fascinating insights into the plays and poems, the man behind them (insofar as this is known), and the context in which he worked. Put together by an actor and a linguist - the pair who brought you 'Shakespeare's Words' (25000 copies sold to date) - it will be quirky, illuminating and endlessly interesting. Topics covered include lost plays, what he would have studied at school, Shakespeare's pronunciation, why the Globe burned down and the difference between a Folio and a Quarto.

The Stories of English

The fabulous paperback for all fans of Bill Bryson and Melvyn Bragg.

David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has published over 90 books and was awarded the OBE for services to the English language in 1995. He is the editor of the Penguin Encyclopedia and the New Penguin Factfinder.

When and why did 'thou' disappear from Standard English? Would a Victorian Cockney have said 'observation' or 'hobservation'? Was Jane Austen making a mistake when she wrote 'Jenny and James are walked to Charmonth this afternoon'? 
 
This superbly well-informed - and also wonderfully entertaining - history of the English language answers all these questions, showing how the many strands of English (Standard English, dialect and slang among them) developed to create the richly-varied language of today.

A Glossary and Language Companion

Shakespeare's Words

'This is what everybody who loves Shakespeare has been looking for' Michael Wood.

David Crystal is one of the most authoritative commentators on the English language, and amongst many other things a contributor to the Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. He lives in Anglesey, Wales.  Ben Crystal, David's son,  is an actor and lives in London (NW1).  Stanley Wells, who has written the preface, is General Editor of the Oxford Shakespeare and Associate Editor of the New Penguin Shakespeare series.

A vital resource for scholars, students and actors, this book contains glosses and quotes for over 14,000 words that could be misunderstood by or are unknown to a modern audience.  Displayed panels look at such areas of Shakespeare's language as greetings, swear-words and terms of address. Plot summaries are included for all Shakespeare's plays and on the facing page is a unique diagramatic representation of the relationships within each play.

A Guided Tour of the Language

The English Language

This is the definitive introductory book on the English Language. There is a new chapter on the influence of technology on language which is 'serialisable'. It also includes an expanded section on English as a global language.

David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He is one of the most highly respected commentators on the English Language. He lives in Holyhead. His titles for Penguin include Words on Words, Language Play, Listen to Your Child. He is currently working on The Penguin Shakespeare Glossary for publication 08/02.

This is the definitive survey of the English language - in all its forms. Crystal writes accessibly about the structure of the language, the uses of English throughout the world and finally he gives a brief history of English. The book has been fully revised and there is a fascinating new chapter on 'The effect of technology' on the English language. 'Illuminating guided tour of our common treasure by one of its most lucid and sensible professionals' The Times 'A splendid blend of erudition and entertainment' THES

David Crystal

A Parent's Guide to Children's Language

Learning to talk is probably the greatest milestone in a child's development: a deeply moving and often hilarious experience for all parents. 
 
In this charming and informative book, Britain's leading expert on the English language talks you through every stage in your child's language development. Over thirty years after its original publication, this new and updated edition of Listen to your Child shows us that while the world our children are growing up in may have changed, one thing has not: parents still need to listen. 
 
Gathering decades of research from psychologists and linguists, Professor Crystal shows how the more we know about language acquisition - from 'cooking' and 'babbling' to melodic 'scribble talk' and simple words and then to incessant chatter - the more there is to delight in. 
 
From birth to the early school years, Listen to your Child provides a painless introduction to the study of child language acquisition as well as invaluable advice for parents.

David Crystal

Books by David Crystal

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