In this provocative interpretation of the history of English, the contributors emphasise the diversity of English throughout its history and the changing social meanings of different varieties of English.

David Graddol, Dick Leith, Joan Swann

1: English Voices, Joan Swann. 2: English Manuscripts: the Emergence of a Visual Identity, David Graddol. 3: The Origins of English, Dick Leith. 4: Standardization in English, David Graddol and Dick Leith. 5: English Colonial to Post Colonial, Dick Leith. 6: Variation in English Grammar, Linda Thomas. 7: Accents of English, Susan Wright. 8: Style Shifting, Codeswitching , Joan Swann. 9: Good and Bad English, Donald Mackinnon.