The History of the English Language DVDs (The Great Courses)

This is a 36-lecture course, each lecture being thirty minutes in length. The subject is fascinating, and Lerer is obviously learned and highly articulate if intermittently frustratingly dry and pedantic, nevertheless, to the listener's relief, often highly witty as well

In the first third of the course, Lerer focuses on the development of Old English from its roots in Germanic languages, in turn hearkening back to Indo-European, then moving forward through the period of the Norman Conquest, not neglecting to delve into the methodologies and sources of linguistic study in general, including literary criticism. In the second third, he discusses the making of Modern English, including the Great Vowel Shift and changes in syntax and grammar, continuing through its changes and uses in common speech and in literature, as well as its reflection in lexicography, in Europe into the twentieth century. The final third of the courses concentrates on American English, its dialects and literature. The listener comes away with not only a sense of the broad sweep of English language development but also an appreciation of its study as a discipline, to say nothing of an amazing number of fascinating and delightful linguistic anecdotes and tidbits. Well worth the time and effort, I think. I should add that mine is the first edition of this course, from 1998, there now being a second edition; I have no idea how they differ.

About author
Professor Seth Lerer (1956 -) is a contemporary Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Stanford University, specialising in historical analyses of the English language, in addition to critical analyses of the works of several authors, including in particular Geoffrey Chaucer.