In this article the pedagogical uses of diachronic linguistics for the teaching
and learning of English are considered. It is argued that with some specific
groups of learners —mainly those with a linguistic or philological back
ground— certain aspects and areas studied in the History of the English
Language, not only help to clarify the reasons for some decisions that both
teachers and learners have to make in the first stages of the learning
process, but also contribute to a proficient mastery of this language.
