Do you remember the first time you looked under the hood of a car or popped off the back of an electric toy to see the inner workings? Well, most of us go through our entire life speaking a highly complex and organized set of sounds we call language without ever getting a glimpse under its hood. So come have a look at some of the hidden gears and spark plugs that have steered and energized English over the centuries. King Alfred's English provides a guided tour of forces and events, conquerors and writers that have shaped, simplified, matured and expanded English into what it is today—the largest and most flexible language in the world and the first truly global language in history.     

KING ALFRED'S ENGLISH is a light course in 4 subject areas:

• History
  Get a fun and enlightening view of English history in the format of major language "invasions" and how they changed the shape and form of English.
  
  
•  English Literature
  Woven into this history are the stories of several key English authors whose prose and poetry influenced the development of English. Optional online literature selections that expand the lessons are available through the website listed below.
  
  
•  Linguistics
  Linguistics is much too fascinating and foundational to reserve for college English majors. This light introduction is guaranteed to increase the reader’s appreciation for language, from word origins to grammar.
  
  
•  The English Bible
  See why the English Bible had an unparalleled impact on the development of our language. Learn the story of the Reformation and the men who, in some cases, gave their lives so we could read the Bible in our native tongue.

No Better Approach to English History

There is no better approach to English history than by studying it through the lens of what happened to it's language. This course gives the student an overview of English history in an entertaining and easy to remember format centered around 4 major language "invasions" and how they changed and shaped the development of English. The student will gain a useful and broad mind-map of English history to which he can pushpin new facts and finer details when he gets to them in later high school or college. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance/Reformation eras should be much more easily comprehended after having had this foundational course.

As English speaking people we take for granted the language we speak. Yet, English is unique in that it encompasses the largest number of foreign words and phrases of any language in all of history giving it unparalleled flexibility and richness. Whether you're reading Shakespeare or Poe, Chaucer or Twain, Faulkner or Flannery O'Conner, no language is quite like English! Alive and ever growing, English is still changing today. King Alfred's English explains how and why. 

A French dictionary contains around 100,000 words. German, the world's second largest language, has a dictionary with close to 185,000 entries. But the Oxford English Dictionary contains 615,000 word entries! Why is that? It's a matter of history.

How We Got the Bible in English

This course tops off with an in-depth look at how we got the Bible in English, and the tale of a few remarkable men of courage who were used by God to free His word from its linguistic “prison,” the dead language of Latin in which it had been bound for a thousand years. The first Bibles to be translated into English had an unparalleled impact on the shape and form of English over the next centuries, and this book examines that unique period in time with special emphasis on John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and the 1611 King James Version of the Bible.

My hope is that this mini-course, aimed at seventh grade through high school, will be a broadening, faith building, and interesting trek for any student or homeschooling family.  

Did you know

• The official language of Britain was once Latin.
• There’s a law for the way languages change that backs up Intelligent Design.
• You probably don't pronounce the word "when" like your parents. When you say "when" and "win," do these words sound the same? If you're under 40, they probably do. If you're older, you may still pronounce the sound of the "h" and the words sound slightly different.
• Vikings plundered England then settled there to stay, and they changed our language forever.
• The Brothers Grimm compiled German fairy tales, but they were also famous philologists (and what IS a philologist?)
• For over 300 years the official language of the English court was...French! Seriously.
• There’s a reason we write “knight” but say “nite,” and you won’t believe how they used to pronounce it.
• It was once punishable by death to translate even portions of the Bible into English.
• Recent scholarship has shown that at least 80% of the King James Bible is the translation work of just one man. Who was he?

Table of Contents for King Alfred's English

King Alfred's English Student Page

King Alfred's English Teacher Page