David Crystal

David Crystal (born 6 July 1941 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland) is a British linguist who specializes in the study of the English language and has written more than 120 books making linguistics accessible to general readers. He is a proponent of Internet linguistics, examining how language is used in digital contexts including text messaging and online communication, and has worked with productions at Shakespeare's Globe coaching actors in original pronunciation to recreate how Shakespeare's plays sounded in their own historical period. In his book The Stories of English he argues for respecting linguistic diversity and non-standard varieties of the language. Crystal was appointed OBE in 1995 and elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2000.