Do you want to become more proficient in language or are you simply fascinated by language? The following books will give you an insight into all the details of language and how to develop your language skills. Read on for the best books on language…

The best books on language ever written

We start our recommendations with the top 10 best books about Language of all time. This list has been updated this year, including all the recent titles.

Best Books About LanguageAuthor
WHY YOU SAY ITWEBB GARRISON
EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVESLYNNE TRUSS
THE LANGUAGE INSTINCTSTEVEN PINKER
SPOKEN HEREMARK ABLEY
THE F-WORDJESSE SHEIDLOWER
MOTHER TONGUE JOEL DAVIS
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE WILLIAM STRUNK AND E.B. WHITE
THE POWER OF BABELJOHN MCWHORTER
THE UNFOLDING OF LANGUAGEGUY DEUTSCHER
DON’T SLEEP, THERE ARE SNAKESDANIEL L. EVERETT

The updated top 10 list: the best books about language

Let’s take a look at the top 10 best books on language …

On Language: Chomsky’s Classic Works Language and Responsibility and Reflections on Language in One Volume

Although Noam Chomsky has written many formal works, this book on our top ten list includes two of his least formal works (Language and Responsibility and Reflections on Language).

Dual Language Development & Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism & Second Language Learning, Second Edition (CLI) 

Having more bilingual students in your classroom can be quite a challenge. This book on dual language development can be beneficial to you, as it is based on recent research and shares key information on dual language learners.

Construction Grammar and its Application to English (Edinburgh Textbooks on the English Language – Advanced)

Martin Hilpert is the writer of this book, and in ‘Construction Grammar and its Application to English’ he states that knowledge of language happens when knowledge of constructions takes place in the mind.

American Sign Language Green Books, A Teacher’s Resource Text on Curriculum, Methods, and Evaluation (Green Book Series)

American Sign Language teachers and students can read this book and learn all about the community of Deaf people, how they communicate and what their culture looks like. Use this information to do language exercises or organize activities.

Principles and Practices of Teaching English as an International Language (25) (NEW PERSPECTIVES ON LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION, 25)

We like this book, because it dares to take a critical look at ELT practices that take place now. There are two parts, and we find the second part especially interesting, because it is based on EIL and motivates differences with elements in part 1 of the book.

Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Language and Literacy (Spotlight on Young Children series)

People learn in different ways. Some are focused on hearing, others on seeing pictures, and then there are others who prefer reading or writing texts. This book focuses on children and their differences when learning a language.

Language Development From Theory to Practice with Enhanced Pearson eText — Access Card Package (What’s New in Communication Sciences & Diaorders)

What we have learned from this book is that the stages in life mean different things for how we develop knowledge of a language. From infancy to adulthood; follow the evidence for the practices that work best and discover what problems can occur when children learn languages.

A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Languages

Do you think you would be able to invent a new language? Then you might want to read ‘A Secret Vice’ by J. R. R. Tolkien. In his talk that was titled ‘A Hobby for the Home’ he discusses constructing imaginary languages just for fun and entertainment.

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

In our opinion this is the best book about learning languages with the most basic information. Find out how the mind deals with learning a new language.

The Unfolding of Language

Guy Deutscher takes us on a journey of language development from the earliest days up until now. From a few words to full sentences that are grammatically correct; ‘The Unfolding of Language’ shows that language is not something we consciously developed, but evolved over time.

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