Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning:the Middle Ages:the Beginning and an End:the Norman Invasion
This lesson from a Middle Ages Literature unit focuses on the Norman Invasion of 1066 and the impact it had on the English language. It discusses the events leading up to the changes from the Anglo-Saxon Old English to Middle English...
BBC
Bbc: History: Ages of English Timeline
Interactive timeline breaks the history of the English language into ten periods. For each period, you can learn some history, hear a sample of the language spoken as it would have sounded at the time, learn how the language was changing...
Harvard University
The Great Vowel Shift
Do you know what the Great Vowel Shift is? Check out this site to learn more how this shift played a part in the history of the English Language.
British Library
British Library: Language & Literature: Dictionaries and Meanings
Article discusses the history of English dictionaries over a five-hundred-year period. Includes selections from Samuel Johnson's dictionary of 1755 and the Oxford English Dictionary. With useful comments about the origins of words,...
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: History of the English Language
What do you know about the origins of the English language? Explore this resource to learn more about this topic. This resource features links to several helpful sites.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Where Did English Come From?
Claire Bowern traces English from the present day back to its ancient roots, showing how the language has evolved through generations of speakers. [4:54]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Languages Evolve
Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The World's English Mania
Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English "the world's second language" by the thousands. [4:31]
Other
University of St. Thomas: Virtual Medieval Church: The Making of Middle English
Details the changes as a result of a fifth-century invasion in Britain, causing the English and Norman French languages to combine to create what is known as Middle English. Part of William Caxton's prologue to the Eneydos is presented...
Other
The Origin and History of the English Language
How many native English speakers are there in the world today? Learn important facts and statistics about the English-speaking world as well as a history of the language from its Germanic beginnings to the present.
Other
Carson Newman College: A Brief History of English
This site features a brief history of English. Come and check out the links provided within this site. Students and teachers will benefit from this educational resource. It includes time lines.
Other
Armstrong Atlantic State University: English Language
Discover more about the history of the English language when you visit this informative site. Students and teachers will benefit from this educational resource.
University of Manchester
Children's University of Manchester: Word Literacy: English Language Timeline
Students move through the timeline to read about the history and development of the English language.
BBC
Bbc: The Route of English
The Routes of English is a series of four six-week features on the development of English as a language, presented on BBC Channel 4 by host Melvyn Bragg. In addition, there are three special programs which deal with the language of the...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Did English Evolve?
This lesson focuses on the evolution of the English language. What is the difference between "a hearty welcome" and "a cordial reception"? In a brief, action-packed history of the English language video, Kate Gardoqui explains why these...
Rutgers University
Rutgers University: History of the English Language
This site provides a brief description of the history of the English language.
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge: History of English Language: Old English to Middle English
A short introduction to the history of the English Language, from Old English to the present day.
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge: An Introduction to Middle English [Doc]
This essay shows how English has changed over the past 1000 years, and introduces students to reading Middle English for themselves.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Linguistic Patterns of English and Navajo Speakers
Read study the charts to complete a five-question quiz on the linguistic patterns of English and Navajo speakers.
Other
Fl International University: History of English Language
This resource presents a brief history of the English language provided by an amateur historian of English and librarian.
English Club
English Club: What Is English?: History of the English Language
A brief history of the development of the English language including a timeline.
Curated OER
Pedigree of Proto Indo European Languages
Chart showing the languages which developed from Proto-Indo European.