This Language, A River is an introduction to the history of English that recognizes multiple varieties of the language in both current and historical contexts. The book aims to enable students both to grasp traditional histories of English and to extend and complicate those histories. The second edition updates and contextualizes terminology, and provides expanded discussions of morphology, syntax, global Englishes, and the development of the discipline of historical English language study. The accompanying workbook includes exercises keyed to each chapter of the textbook. Exercises are graded into beginning, intermediate, and advanced groupings, which will aid in making the textbook appropriate for different levels of students.