The English language, which arose from humble Anglo-Saxon roots to become the lingua franca of 600 million people worldwide and the dominant lexicon of international discourse, is dead. It succumbed last month at the age of 1,617 after a long illness. It is survived by an ignominiously diminished form of itself.
Students who like to complain about the complexities of the English language might enjoy this book about English. The review makes it sound interesting. It's going on my to-read list.