I have so thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I am a bit of a linguistics nerd, though. I used to attend my roommate’s linguistics class with her — just for the fun of it. King Alfred’s English is part history part language arts. I say language arts because it encompasses much of what we call language arts – reading, writing, speaking, and listening to a language.
There are many things that can make our current version of English seem so complicated. Trying to read Old or Middle English seems even more difficult. Learning about how our language evolved (and is still) clears up some of the mysteries. There have been many influences over the years. Even some of our “weird” spellings start to make sense.
Reading through King Alfred’s English has also been a great overview of English history. Many of the pages read more like history than a boring English book (though I enjoy linguistics, I have never enjoyed any English classes I had in school). Maybe if I had had a book like this, I would have had an easier time with English classes in high school. So often while I read, I would share a bit aloud with whomever was in the room. If I didn’t share, they would often ask because I laughed so much while reading. King Alfred’s English is just as entertaining as it is educational.
I cannot wait until my children are a bit older to use this alongside our history curriculum – the next time through our chronological cycle. Though I have a digital copy, I believe a print copy is a necessity for the shelves of our library. It will be required reading. There are even worksheets, texts, related links and more on Laurie White’s website, theshorterword.com
