This volume is a selection of papers read at the second international conference of the Society of Historical English Language and Linguistics (SHELL) held at Nagoya University, Japan, in September 2007, under the auspices of the Graduate School of Letters, Nagoya University, and the Center of Excellence (COE) Program called «Hermeneutic Study and Education of Textual Configuration». Papers discuss current issues in Old English, Middle English, Modern English and the history of English.