Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ('loaf') to cutting edge ('twittersphere') and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ('and', 'what') to the more fanciful ('fopdoodle'), Crystal takes us along the winding byways of language via the rude, the obscure and the downright surprising. In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ('roe', in case you are wondering).

Complete Key for Schools is official preparation for the Cambridge English: Key (KET) for Schools exam. It combines the best in contemporary classroom practice with engaging topics aimed at younger students. The information, practice and advice contained in the course ensure that they are fully prepared for all parts of the test, with strategies and skills to maximise their score. Informed by Cambridge's unique searchable database of real exam candidates' answers, the Cambridge English Corpus, Complete Key for Schools includes examples and exercises which tackle common problem areas at this level. This Student's Pack includes the Student's Book without answers with CD-ROM and Workbook without answers. The Audio CD contains the Audio for the Workbook exercises.

The Reading & Writing Student's Book is carefully structured to practice each of these skills.

The reading sections provide regular opportunities for discussion and interaction, with activities to practice global and close analysis, as well as chances to critically examine the ideas in the text.

Writing is split into two main parts; grammar and writing. This culminates in a final productive task that gives students the opportunity to put ideas from the texts and the skills from the writing section into practice.

Packaged with an online Digibook access code, along with a digital version of the text, the students also have access to a wealth of information and activities, including useful language, dictionary definitions, videos and progress checkl

The Listening & Speaking Student's Book is carefully structured to practice each of these skills.

The listening sections provide regular opportunities for discussion and interaction, with activities to practice global and close listening skills, as well as chances to critically examine the ideas in the text.

Speaking is split into three main parts; grammar, punctuation and speaking. This culminates in a final, realistic, productive task that gives students the opportunity to use their new skills in a meaningful exercise.

Packaged with an online Digibook access code, along with a digital version of the text, the students also have access to a wealth of information and activities, including audio files, useful language, dictionary definitions, vide

The Reading & Writing Student's Book is carefully structured to practice each of these skills.

The reading sections provide regular opportunities for discussion and interaction, with activities to practice global and close analysis, as well as chances to critically examine the ideas in the text.

Writing is split into two main parts; grammar and writing. This culminates in a final productive task that gives students the opportunity to put ideas from the texts and the skills from the writing section into practice.

Packaged with an online Digibook access code, along with a digital version of the text, the students also have access to a wealth of information and activities, including useful language, dictionary definitions, videos and progress checkl

The Listening & Speaking Student's Book is carefully structured to practice each of these skills.

The listening sections provide regular opportunities for discussion and interaction, with activities to practice global and close listening skills, as well as chances to critically examine the ideas in the text.

Speaking is split into three main parts; grammar, punctuation and speaking. This culminates in a final, realistic, productive task that gives students the opportunity to use their new skills in a meaningful exercise.

Packaged with an online Digibook access code, along with a digital version of the text, the students also have access to a wealth of information and activities, including audio files, useful language, dictionary definitions, vide