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13+ Works 486 Membros 11 Reviews

About the Author

Obras de Anne Curzan

Associated Works

A Companion to the History of the English Language (2008) — Contribuinte — 15 cópias
The Oxford Handbook of the History of English (2012) — Contribuinte — 10 cópias

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Sexo
female
Nacionalidade
USA

Membros

Resenhas

18 hours of English etymology, linguistic history, and current language usage! If that sounds like a treasure chest of awesome to you (as opposed to a cardboard box of boring), you need this. I am a fan of The Great Courses and Anne Curzan, and this audiobook was both entertaining and informative. Anne's love of language and passion for her work comes through well. She adds just the right amount of humor and humanity into her lectures to make the material relatable and perhaps even interesting to people not normally drawn to linguistics. You'd be surprised how many words and phrases you use every day are covered in this course!… (mais)
 
Marcado
JosephVanBuren | outras 3 resenhas | May 17, 2022 |
English Grammar Bootcamp is a 2016 Great Courses publication.

Dr. Anne Curzan is a member of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel and is a professor at the University of Michigan.

My parents, who are in their eighties, love to keep their minds sharp by taking classes from Great Courses. They ranted and raved about this course so often, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The first thing I need to mention is that the title might be a little misleading. This is not a tough, ‘Grammar Police’ exercise course.

It is much more relaxed than the title suggests, and anyone, no matter what your level of grammar knowledge or skill might be, can learn from this course.

The most fascinating part of the course is the way the English language has evolved and continues to evolve. The difference in the way we speak and the way we write, is also a common thread, which was especially helpful to me.

I would never in a million years consider myself knowledgeable enough to call myself a grammar geek, and yes, there have been times when I felt a bit resentful of those who go about correcting my grammar; however, I still felt right at home in this grammar geek hangout.

I had fun discussing the class with my parents, who then presented me with an American Heritage Dictionary for Christmas. It weighs about ten pounds and I LOVE it. Only a grammar geek would enjoy reading a dictionary. So, if there is hope for me, there is hope for anyone else who has struggled with grammar and punctuation.

I recommend this course to anyone who thinks they are an aficionado, even if it is just to brush up on your grammar. But, this course might also help you to relax a little more and lose that offensive, strident tone you might not realize you inhabit.

I also recommend it to those who are not grammar geeks because the course proves how fun English grammar can be and points out many inconsistencies, perhaps offering up just a little vindication.

Overall, I enjoyed watching these short lessons when I had the chance. They are only thirty minute lectures, so it's easy to find time for them.

Sometimes I watched the same course twice, and others I fast-forwarded through.

I often found Dr. Anne to be amusing and her enthusiasm for English Grammar is contagious.

4.5 stars

*I viewed this on video streaming - some libraries have copies of this course too, and of course, one can purchase the DVDs through Great Courses.
… (mais)
½
 
Marcado
gpangel | 1 outra resenha | Jan 11, 2021 |
Most useful for foreign language students but too short. Good introduction to the linguistic terminology but you'll want to go deeper.
 
Marcado
skroah | outras 2 resenhas | Dec 14, 2020 |
An excellent series of lectures -- interesting, thoughtful, presented in a low-key and accessible way. An underlying theme is that language is an instrument of emotional and intuitive engagement. This takes the course beyond an old-fashioned analysis of language as a mapping of connotations, with a '"right" and an "incorrect" way of expressing things.
 
Marcado
oatleyr | outras 3 resenhas | Aug 22, 2020 |

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Associated Authors

Estatísticas

Obras
13
Also by
2
Membros
486
Popularidade
#50,828
Avaliação
3.8
Resenhas
11
ISBNs
48

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