This book is intended to help teachers in the upper grades lead their students toward an understanding of the history of the English language. It demonstrates the value of studying language history and provides material and suggestions which can be used to complement a language arts program. The book stresses making students aware of the development of the English language and helping them understand more fully the reasons for current conventions of spelling and grammar. It presents a brief survey of the history of English, focusing on outside influences as well as on characteristics of the language and its literature. Following an introduction, the book contains five chapters: (1) The Origin of English; (2) Old English (c. 450-1100); (3) Middle English (c. 1100-1500); (4) Early Modern English (c. 1500-1800); and (5) American English. At the end of each chapter a few exercises are provided which suggest ways in which students may work with the language of that period. A list of 51 references concludes the book. (SR)