"Comprehensive and balanced, this classic exploration of the history of the English language combines internal linguistic history and external cultural history from the Middle Ages to the present. Emphasis is on the political, social and cultural forces that affect language. [This text]: includes English Present and Future; Provides a new section on Gender Issues and Linguistic Change in Chapter 10; Includes a thorough revision of Chapter 11. [It also] includes updated material on African American Vernacular English. Discusses Black English and varieties of English in Africa and Asia, as well as varieties in the United States, Australia, and Canada. "--Back cover.