ABSTRACT
From its earliest days as a school and university subject English has been concerned with attempts to define itself. To the sceptical, whether inside or outside the field, this preoccupation is seen as no more than mildly interesting navel gazing, revealing the field’s deep anxieties and unresolved insecurities. It is true that English, despite being one of the younger school curriculum subjects, has within 100 years undergone a number of name changes, as if it cannot make up its mind what its function is. First criticism, then literary criticism, then English, English Literature and Language and finally literary studies, textual studies, culture and criticism and English studies. Each term suggest a differing emphasis, as do the debates about whether we should use the word language or languages, literature or literatures, and the questions that have formed the titles of conferences such as What is English? and English, whose English?
