Dialects in the Classroom

‘A brief history of English spelling’ by The English Spelling Society 

A quick historical summary of some of the spelling changes that the English language has seen over time, providing context for why these changes took place.

‘Where did writing come from?’ by Shelby Brown 

 A brief article providing descriptions of the origins of writing, tracing back to ancient times.

‘What was the Great Vowel Shift and why did it happen?’ 

An engaging and condensed account of the Great Vowel Shift with examples and timeline.

Crystal, David. 2005. The Stories of English.

 A thorough historical view of how the English language developed and changed over the course of several centuries, integrating examples from literature spanning from Chaucer to Shakespeare to The Lord of the Rings.

Eide, Denise. 2012. Uncovering the Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy.

A deep dive into the historical developments that led to English’s spelling system being as it is, unlocking the ‘logic’ of some of the baffling spelling practices in modern day English.

Bonfiglio, Thomas Paul. 2010. Race and the Rise of Standard American.

 Accessible and fascinating deep dive into the way Americans developed over time ideologies of what ‘standard’ American English sounds like, considering the roles that race and racism played in the process.