Contents -- Baby-talk -- From cries to words -- Learning how to understand -- Making vibrations -- Pronouncing sounds -- Discovering grammar -- Having a conversation -- Learning to read and write -- Getting to grips with spelling -- Spelling rules and variations -- Grammar rules and variations -- Accents and dialects -- Being bilingual -- The languages of the world -- The origins of speech -- The origins of writing -- Modern writing -- Sign language -- Comparing languages -- Dying languages -- Language change -- Language variation -- Language at work -- Slang -- Dictionaries -- Etymology -- Place names -- Personal names -- The electronic revolution -- Texting -- Language at play -- Untitled -- Language for feelings -- Political correctness -- Language in literature -- Developing a style -- The complexity of language -- Linguistics -- Applied linguistics -- Your language world -- Index.