Daniels refutes the contention that a literary crisis is raging through the United States and that the English language is deteriorating. By showing that panics concerning the state of language have occured at regular intervals since 2400 B.C., he asserts that language cannot die, that it changes constantly and that attitudes toward language are social attitudes. He identifies several classes of language critics including journalistic critics like Edwin Newman, William Safire and John Simon; educational critics who employ techniques that preclude a student from communicating effectively; and a group of critics he identifies as "the higher authorities" - authors of English handbooks and usage panelists of dictionaries. Also demonstrates the futility of "back-to-basics" literacy programs that drill grammar but ignore actual writing and offers a program for teacher training in writing instruction. ISBN 0-8093-8093-7 (pbk.) : $10.95.
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Famous last words: the American language crisis reconsidered
1983, Southern Illinois University Press
in English
0809310554 9780809310555
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Bibliography: p. [281]-290.
Includes index.
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{{cite book|author=Daniels, Harvey |date=1983 |title=Famous last words |url=https://archive.org/details/famouslastwordsa00dani |publication-place=Carbondale |publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |isbn=0-8093-1055-4 |lccn=82010281 |oclc=8552047 |ol=3490521M}}