This lecture is designed as a companion course to the introduction to English linguistics. Its aim is not only to enhance the descriptive and analytical skills you acquire in this introduction, but we will also see how they can be used to explore current topics in the field of English linguistics, from areas as diverse as applied linguistics, linguistic typology, sociolinguistics, varieties of English, and language variation and change. This class will take place in a modified flipped-classroom format, i.e., much of it will be online, with occasional live meetings to discuss the material presented and practice it.