The English department recently welcomed world famous linguist Professor David Crystal to the College.  He gave two talks to first and second year English language students on relevant and interesting topics related to key parts of their studies.

Professor Crystal has written many of the English language books we recommend to students to read and study.  In addition, his work is used by undergraduate, as well as postgraduate students of language and he is highly acclaimed in the world of linguistics.  He is perhaps best known for his two encyclopaedias for Cambridge University Press, ‘The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language’ and ‘The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language (3rd ed 2018)’.  Other recent publications include ‘Sounds Appealing: the Passionate Story of English Pronunciation’, ‘We Are Not Amused: Victorian Views on Pronunciation as Told in the Pages of Punch’, and ‘Making Sense: the Glamorous Story of English Grammar’.

Senior Curriculum Manager for English, Dominic Eady commented, “Having Professor Crystal visit us here at Farnborough was a wonderful opportunity; the students benefited enormously from his erudition and insights.  Particularly valuable were the examples he gave of how language has changed in the last 15 years and his exploration of how children's language develops from birth right up until their teenage years.”

The English department would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Crystal for visiting the College and look forward to welcoming him back again soon.