Vivian Cook is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University, UK, and founding co-editor of the journal Writing Systems Research. Des Ryan works at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

"No longer in the shadows, the study of writing systems is drawing increasing interest among language researchers, as may be seen in this impressive collection by Vivian Cook and Des Ryan, which brings together insights by established and emerging scholars on a broad range of topics and approaches to the study of the English writing system, from its history and evolution, to its structure, processing, acquisition, and sociolinguistic aspects."Jyotsna Vaid, Texas A&M University, USA"The Handbook is an authoritative and comprehensive collection of a wide range of topics related to the English writing system. Written by a stellar cast of scholars, the volume for the first time brings together an amazing variety of approaches and topics, from theoretical to applied, from historical to futuristic, all presented in an accessible and fresh way. This unique and fascinating work will establish itself as an invaluable reference tool for researchers, teachers and postgraduate students, as well as a captivating read for anyone with an interest in the English writing system, for time to come."Benedetta Bassetti, University of Warwick, UK"This Handbook covers an extremely broad range of topics that are suitable both for beginning and more advanced students of language. It is extremely well written and organized. I recommend it enthusiastically."Zohar Eviatar, University of Haifa, Israel

• Chapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Background to the English Writing SystemTheory and the English writing systemChapter 3. English among the world's writing systemsChapter 4. Modern theories of English spellingChapter 5. Phonology and English spellingChapter 6. PunctuationThe history and development of the EWS Chapter 7. The etymological inputs into English spellingChapter 8. Changing Functions: English Spelling before 1600Chapter 9. Modernization and standardization since the 17th centuryChapter 10. Historical spelling variation as documented in historical dictionaries: the OED as a test caseChapter 11. Accent variation reflected in the standard writing system of EnglishLearning and teaching English Chapter 12. Children’s first language acquis­ition of the English writing systemChapter 13. Teaching literacy to English children; policy and practiceChapter 14. Dyslexia and the English writing Liory Fern Pollak and Jackie Masterson Chapter 15. The structure of Literacy teaching: a case study from EnglandSociety and the English writing system in the world Chapter 16. Sociolinguistics and the English writing systemChapter 17. The evolution of British and American style spellingChapter 18. The spelling of Scots: tradition, adaptation and reformChapter 19. Irish English and the English Writing SystemChapter 20. Eye Dialect and Pronunciation Respelling in the USAChapter 21. The Orthography of English-lexicon Pidgins and CreolesChapter 22. The English writing system in the linguistic landscapes of the worldChapter 23. Japanese users of the English writing system: a case studyChapter 24. Spelling reformProcessing the written symbol Chapter 25. Typography and the printed English textChapter 26. Processing the written wordChapter 27. Computer-mediated communication and the English writing systemChapter 28. Texting and other messagingChapter 29. Spell checkers

Vivian Cook is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University, UK, and founding co-editor of the journal Writing Systems Research. Des Ryan works at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

"No longer in the shadows, the study of writing systems is drawing increasing interest among language researchers, as may be seen in this impressive collection by Vivian Cook and Des Ryan, which brings together insights by established and emerging scholars on a broad range of topics and approaches to the study of the English writing system, from its history and evolution, to its structure, processing, acquisition, and sociolinguistic aspects."Jyotsna Vaid, Texas A&M University, USA"The Handbook is an authoritative and comprehensive collection of a wide range of topics related to the English writing system. Written by a stellar cast of scholars, the volume for the first time brings together an amazing variety of approaches and topics, from theoretical to applied, from historical to futuristic, all presented in an accessible and fresh way. This unique and fascinating work will establish itself as an invaluable reference tool for researchers, teachers and postgraduate students, as well as a captivating read for anyone with an interest in the English writing system, for time to come."Benedetta Bassetti, University of Warwick, UK"This Handbook covers an extremely broad range of topics that are suitable both for beginning and more advanced students of language. It is extremely well written and organized. I recommend it enthusiastically."Zohar Eviatar, University of Haifa, Israel

• Chapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Background to the English Writing SystemTheory and the English writing systemChapter 3. English among the world's writing systemsChapter 4. Modern theories of English spellingChapter 5. Phonology and English spellingChapter 6. PunctuationThe history and development of the EWS Chapter 7. The etymological inputs into English spellingChapter 8. Changing Functions: English Spelling before 1600Chapter 9. Modernization and standardization since the 17th centuryChapter 10. Historical spelling variation as documented in historical dictionaries: the OED as a test caseChapter 11. Accent variation reflected in the standard writing system of EnglishLearning and teaching English Chapter 12. Children’s first language acquis­ition of the English writing systemChapter 13. Teaching literacy to English children; policy and practiceChapter 14. Dyslexia and the English writing Liory Fern Pollak and Jackie Masterson Chapter 15. The structure of Literacy teaching: a case study from EnglandSociety and the English writing system in the world Chapter 16. Sociolinguistics and the English writing systemChapter 17. The evolution of British and American style spellingChapter 18. The spelling of Scots: tradition, adaptation and reformChapter 19. Irish English and the English Writing SystemChapter 20. Eye Dialect and Pronunciation Respelling in the USAChapter 21. The Orthography of English-lexicon Pidgins and CreolesChapter 22. The English writing system in the linguistic landscapes of the worldChapter 23. Japanese users of the English writing system: a case studyChapter 24. Spelling reformProcessing the written symbol Chapter 25. Typography and the printed English textChapter 26. Processing the written wordChapter 27. Computer-mediated communication and the English writing systemChapter 28. Texting and other messagingChapter 29. Spell checkers