The Highlights of Anglo-Saxon Culture and Language. A College and University Guide

The submitted text of the university and college handbook proves not only the authors’ fascination by the field of Anglo-Saxon cultures and languages of the peoples who belong to the cultures, but also their ability and capacity to provide unusually comprehensive rudiments of the broad areas for the college and university students. […] As the authors claim, the need to produce such text reflects the state of the students’ knowledge about cultures of peoples’ whose language they learn and the shortage of suitable materialon the Polish (andldare to say, Central European) market. These practical reasons, authors’ interest, dedication and effort are materialized in the text that I would recommend not only to students who plan to study a programme within the English philology. It is also a valuable material for those who are already at the university level but have neither been introduced to the geography, history, political and social institutions, arts, and media of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, nor they have dealt with diachronic elements and sociolinguistic aspects related to English and its present-day status. […] My impression after having read the submitted text is that the authors have safely mastered the complexity of the problems and that the defined framework has enabled them to present a comprehensive, qualified and innovative work. […] The production of a student-friendly handbook requires not only ambition but also a combination of a diligent approach and dedication. In my opinion in the final outcome of the effort in this particular case one can highlight several unique features. One of the most valuable characteristics is its above mentioned comparative aspect. Students are directly motivated to learn not only about the Anglo-Saxon cultures and their languages but also about the culture they live in and through. They are prompted to apply the acquired knowledge onto their own experience. Thus the Polish perspective becomes a systematic part of their learningprocess, which represents apotentialfor a grand achievement. […] In the submitted text the three authors – Grzegorz A. Kleparski, Malgorzata Martynuska, Anna Dziama demonstrate their ability to mediate their knowledge of the field of study to the students of English philology. The areas covered in the handbook are relevant, important, topical and worth of more detailed study. The approach to the material and methodology of the compilation are wellformed. The scope of the text is quite wide, but the authors show their full competence in managing it. The goal of the project has been reached. Doc. Mgr. Slávka Tomaąčíková, PhD. P.J. ©afárik University in Koąice