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Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century

Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century

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Cambridge University Press, 6/24/2004
EAN 9780521777476, ISBN10: 052177747X

Paperback, 519 pages, 24.6 x 17.5 x 3.3 cm
Language: English

This textbook provides a comprehensive survey of current language issues in the USA. Through a series of specially commissioned chapters by leading scholars, it explores the nature of language variation in the United States and its social, historical and political significance. The book is divided into three sections. Part I, American English, explores the history and distinctiveness of American English, and regional and social varieties. Part II, Other Language Varieties, looks at multilingualism and linguistic diversity. Part III, The Sociolinguistic Situation in the USA includes chapters on attitudes to language, language and education, Rap and Hip Hop, and adolescent language. It also explores issues such as the Ebonics controversy and the English Only movement. Clear, accessible and broad in its coverage, this book will be welcomed by students across the disciplines of English, Linguistics, Communication, American Studies and Popular Culture, as well as anyone interested more generally in language-related issues.

Part I. American English
1. American English
its origins and history Richard W. Bailey
2. The distinctiveness of American English Edward Finegan
3. Regional American dialects William Kretzschmar
4. Social varieties of American English Walt Wolfram
5. African-American vernacular English Lisa Green
6. The dictionary of American regional English Joan Houston Hall
Part II. Other Language Varieties in the USA
7. Multilingualism and non-English mother tongues Joshua A Fishman
8. Creole languages in the United States
forging new identities Patricia Nichols
9. Native American languages Akira Y. Yamamoto and Ofelia Zepeda
10. Spanish in the northeast Ana Celia Zentella
11. Spanish in the southwest Carmen Silva-Corvalán
12. American sign language Ceil Lucas and Clayton Valli
13. Asian American voices Thom Huebner and Linda Uyechi
14. Linguistic diversity and English language acquisition Robert Bayley
Part III. The Sociolinguistic Situation in the USA
15. Language ideology and language prejudice Rosina Lippi-Green
16. Ebonics and its controversy John Baugh
17. Language policy and English-only Terrence G. Wiley
18. Language and Education Lily Wong Fillmore
19. Adolescent language Penelope Eckert
20. Slang Connie Eble
21. Rap and hip hop H. Samy Alim
22. Language, gender and sexuality Mary Bucholtz
23. Language and identity in American literature James Peterson
24. The language of doctors and patients Cynthia Hagstrom
25. The language of cyberspace Denise E. Murray
26. Language attitudes to US speech Dennis R. Preston.

'the publishers have rightly decided that a completely new book is in order to illustrate recent findings and new foci of the "21st century". ... Finegan provides a useful survey, ... and recent atlases, which includes an intelligent use of maps. The chapter interestingly shows that very different methods of data collection and analysis over the years have generally confirmed the findings of the earlier studies.' Anglia