The Future of Language: The Routledge David Crystal Lectures

A magnificent performance from the world's number 1 academic...It is a constant wonder just how much adept and refined is everything Professor David Crystal does or says. In this remarkable DVD, Professor Crystal gives three talks - on the future of Englishes, language death and internet linguistics. It is fascinating in what a relaxed, graceful and sophisticated manner combined with an inborn sense of humour and the art of rhetoric Professor presents the themes. Each of the three lectures - or, as Professor likes to put it, talks - outshines the other in the perfection: the talks are vibrant, dynamic, variegated, witty, versatile and fantastic! The pragmatic perspective of all the three mutually intertwined dimensions is presented in a comprehensible, open-minded and skilful manner, underneath a professional whose theoretical and practical knowledge is amazingly vast.Those who are already familiar with the topics Professor focuses on (like me before watching the DVD) through his books and articles, will anyway find Professor's manner of talking extremely fresh and astonishingly dynamic.The jokes, different voices, anecdotes, the jollity and conviviality which reign in the first and the third talks are equally sistered by the refined, persuasive, appealing rhetoric of the second lecture. A chill went through me as Hilary Crystal and Ben Crystal appeared on the stage to perform with Professor an excerpt from his brilliant play "Living On" which tells the drama of the last speaker of Tamasa language.The message of all the three talks is received by the audience, touching both their minds and hearts (where the theme of language death concerns) as their immediate reaction is heard in the hall.All the three talks are there to inform, educate and entertain.Professor believes a lecture is a performance, a lecturer is an actor. He proves the point in this graceful performance.Professor David Crystal is unparalleled and unparagoned! He is an international treasure!!!

If you're interested in language, you'll enjoy this DVD. It is rather expensive, but drop some heavy hints in the run-up to Christmas or a birthday, and you may be lucky. If you're a banker, of course, the cost won't be a problem. And if you're a dedicated linguistics student, you'll find the cost somehow. And they're arguably better value than the far cheaper, US-centric linguistics courses that are available from The Teaching Company.The three lectures are "The Future of Englishes", "Language Death", and "Internet Linguistics". I was left wishing that there were many more lectures in the box. A glimmer of hope is provided by the umbrella header: "The Routledge David Crystal Lectures". I hope that those lectures soon come to market.The included 184-page "book of the film" is an edited and improved companion to the lectures.Despite the relatively high cost of the lectures, I recommend this product to serious students of linguistics.

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