BASIC ENGLISH TEXTS and SOURCES

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Ogden developed Basic English and is concerned with the how and why of communication and the need for an international language. His books are academic, descriptive of the language in a way to convince the reader to adopt Basic. Richards accepted the task of teaching Basic and developed student textbooks.

Texts by Ogden.

• Basic English: International Second Language, Ogden, C. K., 1968.
  Authorized by the Orthological Institute and prepared by E.C. Graham.
  New York : Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968. - xii, 525p : diagrams.
  A revised and expanded version of The System of Basic English. This book incorporates the earlier works of Basic English, The ABC of Basic English, and The Basic Words, plus examples, into one book, - LC 68-028654   Out of Print.
• The Basic Dictionary. * Ogden, C. K.  1932, 130 pages, 4"x7". 
  This is a normal paperback dictionary of 20,000 words in which the definitions are given in simple Basic English. ISBN 4-590-00584-0 .   New link at Archive.Org

  The following are Ogden's initial presentations. These are small books, 4"x6" -- possibly extended essays from the psychology journal he edited -- long out of print, replaced with the composite work The System of Basic English, which, in turn, has been reprinted as Basic English: International Second Language. These contain the text of the following three, key early works.

• Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar.
  Ogden, Charles Kay. Small format, hardcover.
  Publisher: Paul Treber & Co., Ltd. London, 1930.
  Initial introduction of Basic English - summarized on these Web pages.
• The Basic Words . Ogden, C.K., London, 1932. - expanded
  Each word is defined along with a detailed account of their uses. All the different ways in which the 850 words may be used in Basic English made clear by very short examples and by French and German words.   Out of Print
• The ABC of Basic English. Ogden, C.K., Hardcover
  Publisher: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, London 1932.   Out of Print
  A simple account of the structure of the language in an ordered way, for learners and teachers.
• The System of Basic English. Ogden, C. K., Harcourt, Brace & Co, NY, 1934. Hardcover.
  Incorporates parts of four earlier works into one book: Basic English; The ABC; Basic Words; Everyday Basic English plus Examples from a variety of fields. This is the book that got me hooked on Basic.   Out of Print.
  Superseded by Basic English : International Second Language.
• Basic By Examples *, Ogden, C. K., 172 pages, 1933.
  Each Basic word is used in a sentence for each sense of the word, inside the limits of the system, in alphabetic order.
• Everyday Basic English *, Ogden, C.K., London, 1934. 155 pages.
  Conversations in various situations. ISBN 4-590-00909-9
• Basic Step by Step, Ogden, C. K., 1935. 280 pages.
  A simple teaching-book giving the 850 words in 30 groups, with reading-material, notes, and pictures. An aid to teachers in preparing lessons. When used for the serious self-study -- the crucial first 8 pages should must be in the student's native language, which in the known available reprint is Japanese. (Also may be had in Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.) Now out of print
  English ohne Ballast -- Basic English Das 850-Wörter-System -- Ein Langenscheidt Lehrbuch, 1956. (Basic Step by Step, in German, with line drawings that really add to the understanding.)

  Other Works by Ogden.

• Editorial : the Universal Language, Ogden, C.K, Psyche, January 1929.
• Basic English Applied (Science), Ogden, C.K, London, 1931.
• Basic English and Grammatical Reform. Ogden, C.K., Eldritch Press, 1937.
  A full text version is occasionally available online. Pamphlet, 26 pages.
• The Basic Vocabulary : A statistical analysis with special reference to substitution and translation, Ogden, C.K.; Kegan Paul. Trench, Trubner, London, 1930, 96 pages Psyche Miniatures General Series No. 31
• A Basic Astronomy by S. L. Salzedo.
• Basic for Business  by S. L. Salzedo
• Basic for Economics by L.W. Lockhart
• Basic for Geology by P. M. Rossiter, 1937, 1945
• Basic for Science, Ogden, C.K., London, 1944.
• Basic by Picture Stamps, Ogden. 7"x10", 180 pages. 800 stamps showing 800 words.
• The Basic Way to English, Books I - IV from Evans Brothers, London. Books 1-4, in ordered stages, with pictures, and separate Teachers' Books 1-4
• Our Changing Times, The Basic English Publishing Co, Cambridge.
• Debabelization, The argument for Basic as the international language.
• The Basic Reading Books, Pitman and Sons, London.
• Opposition: A Linguistic and Psychological Analysis^* , by C. K. Ogden, 1932; Indiana University Press, 1967. Ogden makes available his studies in Opposites and Scaled Meanings that he uncovered while simplifying language.

  Other Texts

• The Science Dictionary in Basic English in U.K.   Evans Brothers Limited, 1965. Or as
  The Basic Dictionary of Science in U.S.   Graham, E.C., MacMillan Company, New York, 1966.
  Giving the sense of over 25,000 words and word-groups taken from all branches of science. Readily available at online, out-of-print bookstores.
• A Semantically Sequenced Way of Teaching English, Yuzuru Katagiri with John Constable, 1993, Yamaguchi Publishing House in Kyoto, Japan.     From I.A. Richards' writings.
• Learning Basic English . A practical handbook for English-speaking people., I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson. HB, Norton & Co., New York, 1945. Learn to speak while restricting yourself to the Basic words. - Good.
• English Through Pictures - May 2005 Edition. available from Pippin Publishers, Toronto, Canada, as a 3-volume set for US$35 or Can$40, free shipping. Paperback 4.25" x 7" ; ISBN 0-88751-117-1 . The set contains :
  • ENGLISH THROUGH PICTURES: BOOK 1
        AND A FIRST WORKBOOK OF ENGLISH -- 272 pages.
  • ENGLISH THROUGH PICTURES: BOOK 2
        AND A SECOND WORKBOOK OF ENGLISH - 336 pages
        ISBN: 0887511139 $15 plus shipping form Amazon
  • ENGLISH THROUGH PICTURES: BOOK 3 - 256 pages.
        ISBN: 0887511155 $15 plus shipping from Amazon
    How it works.
  Previous editions : available from used book stores.
  English Through Pictures and A Workbook of English, Books I, II, and III.  I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson, 1972 . Each volume teaches 250 words out of the 850 words of Basic English.
  These are reprints in a larger format from the earlier series below.
  • Book I, features prefix in 41 languages, 671-80340-9 .
  • Book II - my copy is nineteenth printing, 1988, by Yohan Publications, Inc, Tokyo .
  • Book III, 1973, (no workbook) sbn: 671-77670-3, is the same as English Through Pictures, Book 2, copyright of 1957, below.
  English Through Pictures Series, by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson, 1965
  • English Through Pictures I and A First Workbook of English by I.A. Richards; Christine Gibson. First 250 words of Basic from Book I below.
  • English Through Pictures Book II and A Second Workbook of English by I.A. Richards; Christine Gibson. Second 250 words of Basic English from Book II below.
  • English Through Pictures Book III by I.A. Richards; Christine Gibson. Starts as equal parts pictures and text and ends mostly text with pictures. Uses more Basic words plus other words made from Basic words.
  English Through Pictures Series, by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson, 1957
  • English Through Pictures Book I, by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson.
  • Makes use of 500 words out of the 850 words of Basic English.
  • English Through Pictures, Book Two, I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson.
    Paperback, Pocket Books, 1957, 671-46879 Lib Congress: 52-38412
  • First Steps in Reading English, I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson. Washington Square Press, New York, 1957. sbn: 671-46879-0 Learn to read English from simple sentences with stick diagrams. Different approach from the Pictures series, best if following.
  • A First Workbook of English : by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson.
  • A Second Workbook of English : by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson.
  • The Pocket Book of Basic English by I.A. Richards, 1945. This is the original of the English Through Pictures books --500 words starting with mostly pictures till the end is about equal space to text and pictures. Wartime
  •     A First Workbook of English : by I.A. Richards and Christine Gibson.
  •     A Second Workbook of English - Based on The Pocket Book English through Pictures -- is a Canadian workbook with more text with the exercises.
  • Learning the English Language by English Language Research (Richards).-- Four phamplets, I - IV, 1942, 32-pages each. Similar to and pre-dating Pocket Book and English thru Pictures series. The series was reissued thru 1963.
• Basic Picture Talks, * Lockhart, L.W., Cambridge, 1942, 220 pages.
  Provides alternate senses of words with the aid of drawings and discussion. Pictures, with questions and answers about them, designed to make clear some representative expansions of sense - for schoolroom use.
• Basic and the Teaching of English in Burma by Adolph Myers, Rangoon, 1938, 373 pages. Philosphy of Basic, rather than teaching.
• Basic and the Teaching of English in India by Adolph Myers, 376 pages, 1938. reprint Myers Press March 15, 2007.
• The Basic English-Chinese/Chinese-English Dictionary using Simplified Characters . . . By Peter Bergman, et. al. (eds), 144 pages. Signet (and other editions) 1980. Using simplified characters, transliterated in accordance with the new, official Chinese Phonetic Alphabet. limited 1000 words follows the pioneering work of C. K. Ogden's 'Basic English'.
• Sounds and Forms of Basic English, J. Rantz.
• Word-Stress and Sentence-Stress. A guide for teachers of Basic English, together with a discussion from the point of view of "phonetics" (the science of language sounds).
• Basic by Isotype by Dr. Otto Neurath. Isotype teaching-pictures for international use. Psyche Miniatures, London, 1937, 130 pages.
• From Pictures to Letters by Ellen Wales Walpole. Kindergarten, 1937 *
• The Basic Teacher, Lockhart, L.W., London, 1950. A full and detailed work . -- Good ! Complete, plus guide. (May be had, in addition, in German and Italian.)
• Phonograph records. (1) A two-sided record giving a talk about the sounds and a reading of the Basic words by J. C. Catford; and (2) A two-sided record of readings from The Basic Teacher.
• A Basic Phonetic Reader by Professor A. Lloyd James, Nelson & Sons, 1937. A system of pronunciation with many examples in Basic; 148 facing pages with phonetic on one side and short stories on the other.
• From Basic to Wider English, Books 1-6. 1959, 1968. New pictures. Six 70-page teaching booklets to follow after basic Basic.
• Economics in Basic English by L.W. Lockhart, Psyche Miniatures, 1933. Translation of important works and introduces the 50 word economics supplemental word list.
• Wall Pictures. (1) Words of Direction and Position; (2) Operations; (3) Acts; (4) Country; (5) By the Sea; and (6) [two pictures] Present, Past and Future.
• The "Basic Way" Reading Cards. 45 cards for use with "The Basic Way to English", Book 1.
• The Meaning of Meaning   C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards, 1923 with many reprints since, latest 2003 by Thoemmes Press (expensive). This is the classic work on symbolic communication and thought that resulted in Ogden's development of its practical application, Basic English.
  ISBN 0-15-658446-8   Used textbook copies and collectibles are available in online bookstores.
• The Meaning of Psychology   C. K. Ogden, 1926. An overview of the field in which language and meaning are of great significance.
• Psyche XIII   An Annual of General and Linguistic Psychology , edited by C. K. Ogden.

  Books about Basic English  or  English as an International Language:

• Basic English compiled by Julia E. Johnson. Wilson, Reference Self Series, Vol 17 No.1, 1944. A collection of 30 essays on Basic English to satisfy the curiosity generated by Winston Churchill's encouragement before the Congress of the United States in 1943. Ten descriptive by Ogden, Richards, etc., 10 favorable, and 10 critical . - Good.
• Basic English for Adult Education by the Department of Adult Education of the National Education Association to give the whole setting of Basic English in its larger aspects, to give some picture of what it is over and above its usefulness to foreign-born Americans.
• Basic English Versus the Artificial Languages by C. K. Ogden. Psyche Miniatures; General Series No. 78. Publisher: Kegan Paul, Trench. 1935
  This book is written that the solution of the problem of Debabelization is to be found in Basic English. It is a reply to the arguments still frequently advanced in support of one or other of the artificial languages and with particular reference to Esperanto. With Contributions by Paul D. Hugon and L.W. Lockhart.
• Basic English and Its Uses, Richards, I.A., 1943, Norton & Co.,New York. Includes a list of books on or in Basic. (Many books -- from the Bible to H.G. Wells' stories -- were translated to Basic, to popularize it and prove that it was adequate to saying anything.)
• Basic in Teaching: East and West, Richards, I.A., 1935, Psyche Miniatures. China experience.
• C. K. Ogden: a bio-bibliographic study by W. Terrence Gordon. Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, N.J. & London, 1990 . Summery of Ogden's life (55 pp) and complete bibliography (96 pp) .
• C.K. Ogden : A Collective Memoir, edited by P. Sargant Florence and J.R.L. Anderson ; Clarke, Doble, & Brendon Ltd, 1977. ISBN: 0301 76061 6. 252 pages. - Half about history of Ogden, half about Basic.
• Essential Word English by Lancelot Hogben, London, 1963. He believes Ogden's 850 words is too small and suggests 1,500 words. Useful to foresee the next steps after 30 years of experience with Basic.
• Semantics : The nature of words and their meanings by Hugh Walpole, Norton, New York, 1941. Gives a view of the senses of words with the connections between language and thought which will make for better writing, sharper reading and clearer thought. Chapter 9. "Applied Semantics: Basic English".
• So Much Nearer, Richards, I.A., Harcourt, 1968. Ten Essays Towards a World English.
• English as a Global Language by David Crystal, Cambridge U. Press, 1997. ISBN 0 521 5 9247x. History and future of International English.
• English as Lingua Franca: Double talk in Global Persuasion by Karin Devring, 1997. ISBN 0-275-95878-7 Even though English is actually the world language of economics, technology, and sports -- the same words and phrases do mean the same thing -- air traffic control and stock market quotes. But political . . .
• One Language for the World by Mario Pei, 1958, 1964, ISBN 68-56449. Considers dozens of languages and suggests the most likely for international vote.
  C.K. Ogden and Linguistics: Introduced by Terence Gordon. Routledge/Thoemmes Press. Five volume set. £75.00 / $120.00 each. 1994. 0415103533
  • I .  From Significs to Orthology
  • II . From Bentham to Basic English
  • III. The Meaning of Meaning by C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards, 1923. Text with almost annual reprints, latest 2003 by Thoemmes Press (expensive). This is the classic work on symbolic communication and thought that resulted in Ogden's development of its practical application, Basic English. ISBN 0-15-658446-8 and 1855067692 Used HB & PB textbook copies and collectibles are available in online bookstores.
  • IV. Counter-Offensive: An Exposure of Certain Misrepresentations of Basic English . Introduction by W. Terrence Gordon. March 1999. Thoemmes Press ISBN 1-85506-770-6   396 pages.   Ogden's reply to a critic of Basic English, simultaneously giving the full background of the development of Basic, its teaching techniques, and an instructive case-study of careless scholarship and statistical method gone awry.
  • V . From Russell to Russo. Reviews and Commentaries 1855067714
• A Summary of C.K.Ogden, a Genius, Attracted with 850 Words   by Yoshiko Aizawaby   new
• Word Economy: a Study in Applied Linguistics   by L. W. Lockhart , 1931   new
  
  Reading Books : There is a longer list.
  • The Basic Reading Books by L.W. Lockhart
  • The Basic Books and Our Changing Times
  • A Basic Phonetic Reader by Lloyd James
  • Carl and Anna by Leonhard Frank.
  • Death in High Society by Inez Holden
  • Arms and the Man by H.G. Wells
  
  Reference Books -- about language
  
  Other Languages
  • English Through Pictures, Books 1, 2 and 3 by I.A.Richards & Christine Gibson
    This "Language Through Pictures Series" includes French, German, and Italian languages, and Russian and Spanish language respectively in 2 volumes,
    Some of these have been reissued in 2004
  • X-press - Basic English for Italians
    From a Japanese list.
    GDM Booklist
    • GDM Language Through Pictures, 1993
    • Theory of GDM English, complied by Conifer Corporation, 1999
    • Picture - Sentence Practice, 1965
    • Basic English as a Media, 1996
    • A Semantically Sequenced Way of Teaching English: Selected and Uncollected Writings by I. A. Richards , Yuzuru Katagiri with John Constable, 1993
    • Rich World of Basic English Verb, 1999
    • The Basic Trainer by Goto Hiroshi, 1999
    • English in 850 Words by Goto Hiroshi, 2002
    • Understand the Foundation of Basic English, research conference, 2002
    GDM English Through Video
    • English Through Video - Intro plus start of Book I
    • English Through Television (all the 3 volumes)
    • Animation edition of GDM
  • Thailand , "850 English" by Thankrit Khongjan. 2011 , Para Da Book. Available at SE-ED stores for 161 THB ($5.20)
    
    Learn Foreign Language using Ogden's methods
  • Menu of books Charles Duff -- French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Russian
  • Basis and Essentials of Spanish by Charles Duff, using Ogden's methods
  • Spanish Through Video - Intro to Book I
  
  Not Basic English - avoid confusion
  • Basic International Language Quick International Understanding in One-Tenth the Time Using International Words by Wesley E Arnold, June 1993. This is Esperanto. Trade paperback, 104 pages, ISBN: 0915935120   $11.50.
  • Basic English for Science by Peter Donovan, Aug 1978, Oxford Univ Press, 149 pg. ISBN: 0194571815   This is introductory standard English for non-native speakers preparing to study a science subject.
  • Basic English Revisited: by Sebranek and Meyer. Not Basic English, but a handbook that may be of use to Intermediate and Advance Basic learners going to full English.
  • English Picture Word Book by Hayward Cirker and Barbara Steadman. This is a coloring book with objects named. Page one introduces apple, bird, and cat, but also paper plate, clothes pole, and picnic table. Although not Basic English, it is an educational toy that supports learning language. ISBN: 0-486-27776-3. List $4, sale $1 + S&H at half.com.
  • A Basic English Grammar by Oxford Press -- this is an intermediate level, standard ESL text.
  • Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Basic English by Britannica. This is standard English.

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  Basic English Bibliography -- 196 titles
  The Basic Books by Ogden gives a description of all of the books in Basic or about Basic at the time : texts, factual and fiction , is put online by Ryota Iijima in 2005 at : http://www2.educ.fukushima-u.ac.jp/~ryota/basic_books.html. If that link does not work, then here.
• Online Books by C. K. Ogden"

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  Last updated July 28, 2008. Brief summary of : One Language for the World , English as a Global Language, and reference books.
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