Monday, October 20, 2008

The Resurgence of English


English language hasn’t been always the way we know it. It took a lot of time for language to become into what is nowadays. This process had the help of different cultures to shape English. One important event was The Resurgence of English during the 12th century. Throughout this period a lot of things happened. One of the most important is the fact that literacy was widespread, so people had more access to papers. Cambridge and Oxford universities were established. But not everything was going well; England and France were not exactly good friends. The Hundred Years War began in this period.

English was used for the first time in the parliament in 1362, becoming the language of power. Even though, Latin and French had a big participation in English words formation.

Reading Crystal’s article I could realize how complex the formation of English was. Every aspect of a culture contributes to shape a language. Language is changing all the time due to this fact.

As teachers is essential for us to be aware of where the language we are learning comes from. It is also relevant to connect English history with our own language in order to not forget our roots.

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