This new thoroughly revised edition of the acclaimed cambridge encyclopedia of language incorporates the major developments in language study which have taken place since the mid 1990s two main new areas have been added the rise of electronic communication in all its current forms from email to texting and the crisis affecting the worlds languages of which half are thought to be so seriously endangered that they will die out this century o all language statistics have been updated . The cambridqe encyclopedia is an excellent book that students of language will find instructive and in many places entertaining the encycropedia contains scholarly treatments of numerous topics related to language and the author has achieved just the right balance in combining technical sophistication comprehensiveness and overall readability two challenges the author faced in preparing this book were 1 the books scope and the selection of topics that were to be included and 2 the . The cambridge encyclopedia of the english language is one of the publishing phenomena of recent times rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read and popularly acclaimed it has played a key role in the spread of general interest in language matters generating further publications and broadcasting events for an avid audience its first edition appeared in hardback in 1995 and a revised paperback in 1997 there have been numerous . Probably the most successful general study of language ever published the cambridge encyclopedia of language covers all the major themes of language study including popular ideas about language language and identity the structure of language speaking and listening writing reading and signing language acquisition the neurological basis of language and languages of the world exposing this work to a new generation of readers the second edition extends the range of coverage to . Now in its third edition the cambridge encyclopedia of the english language provides the most comprehensive coverage of the history structure and worldwide use of english fully updated and expanded with a fresh redesigned layout and over sixty audio resources to bring language extracts to life it covers all aspects of the english language including the history of english with new pages on shakespeares vocabulary and pronunciation updated statistics on global english use that now