This chapter is an introduction to language and linguistic concepts from the viewpoints of North America. It sets the historical stage for the development of Canadian English from about 1900 to the present. Couched in the ascension of English as the predominant world language, the chapter sketches the influences on Canadian English via immigration and language and dialect contact throughout history. It introduces the six protagonists of the book, the "Big Six", who, shortly after World War II, embarked on a campaign to define, codify, and create the notion of Canadian English as a variety on a par with American and British English. Special emphasis is given to changing linguistic attitudes towards the English used in Canada, from the 1850s to the present. Basic concepts from the fields of dialectology, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, and World Englishes are explained and illustrated for the non-specialist reader.