Dialects and American English

by Walt Wolfram

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0132100975
• ISBN13: 9780132100977
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Why Don't We All Say Y'all?

This book is an extremely useful introduction to the study of American dialects. Rather than considering the linguistic detail of individual dialects, it explains what dialects are and how they originate and develop. It begins with an overview of dialects in all languages, considering not only regional but social and ethnic dialects; it also considers the differences between the speech patterns of men and women. Particularly useful for teachers are chapters on ways to investigate dialects-questionnaires and interviews, for example-and discussions of such vexed questions as "standard English" and testing. The book ends with an excellent glossary and a rich bibliography of other books and articles about the topics introduced in the book. It is unfortunate that this book is out of print: it is an easy, interesting introduction to an important and fascinating topic.