Living Language: Reading, Thinking, and Writing

This book fulfills the promise of its title by revealing the excitement of language study, the constancy of language change, and the impact of language on our everyday lives. Sixty-one reading selections not only provide models and inspiration for writing but also help develop critical reading skills, data analysis, vocabulary enlargement, and facilitates communication. Including visuals, interesting details about language change, and other histories of words. The organization of the book leads the reader from personal, subjective writing to objective and academic writing. Treating current and popular topics, this book addresses all types of reading materials, such as news stories, headlines, letters-to-the-editor, a video script, a sweepstakes offer, cartoons, and road signs through the lens of language. Chapter titles include You and Your Names; Labels of Primary Potency; Language for Fun; and Changing Words in a Changing World. Anyone with an interest in the dynamics of language.