The Lesser-Known Varieties of English


Book Description

This is the first ever volume to compile sociolinguistic and historical information on lesser-known, and relatively ignored, native varieties of English around the world. Exploring areas as diverse as the Pacific, South America, the South Atlantic and West Africa, it shows how these varieties are as much part of the big picture as major varieties and that their analysis is essential for addressing some truly important issues in linguistic theory, such as dialect obsolescence and death, language birth, dialect typology and genetic classification, patterns of diffusion and transplantation and contact-induced language change. It also shows how close interwoven fields such as social history, contact linguistics and variationist sociolinguistics are in accounting for their formation and maintenance, providing a thorough description of the lesser-known varieties of English and their relevance for language spread and change.




Further Studies in the Lesser-Known Varieties of English


Book Description

This book documents the lesser-known varieties of English which have been overlooked and understudied within the canon of English linguistics.




English as a Contact Language


Book Description

Recent developments in contact linguistics suggest considerable overlap of branches such as historical linguistics, variationist sociolinguistics, pidgin/creole linguistics, language acquisition, etc. This book highlights the complexity of contact-induced language change throughout the history of English by bringing together cutting-edge research from these fields. Special focus is on recent debates surrounding substratal influence in earlier forms of English (particularly Celtic influence in Old English), on language shift processes (the formation of Irish and overseas varieties) but also on dialects in contact, the contact origins of Standard English, the notion of new epicentres in World English, the role of children and adults in language change as well as transfer and language learning. With contributions from leading experts, the book offers fresh and exciting perspectives for research and is at the same time an up-to-date overview of the state of the art in the respective fields.




International English


Book Description

From Singapore to Scotland, Canada to the Channel Islands, Namibia to New Zealand and beyond, International English takes you on a fascinating journey through the varieties of English spoken around the world. Comparisons across the varieties provide a comprehensive guide to differences in phonetics, phonology, grammar and vocabulary, making this a useful resource for teachers of English as a foreign language and linguistics students alike. This sixth edition has been thoroughly updated to include the following: new sections on the Death of RP, Estuary English, Multicultural London English, the Dublin accent and Fijian English; updated material on RP phonology, New Zealand English phonology, Australian English lexis, North American English lexis and the Northern Cities Chain Shift; revised and updated references and bibliography. This textbook comes with free-to-download MP3 files at www.routledge.com/9781138233690, which demonstrate the different varieties featured in the book – ideal for use in class, at home or on the move. International English remains a key and indispensable resource for teachers and students, and is essential reading for anyone studying varieties of English in a global context.




International English


Book Description

Describes and compares, at the level of phonetics, phonology, grammar and vocabulary, the main varieties of Standard English spoken and written today.




Alternative Histories of English


Book Description

This groundbreaking collection explores the beliefs and approaches to the history of English that do not make it into standard textbooks. Orthodox histories have presented a tunnel version of the history of the English language which is sociologically inadequate. In this book a range of leading international scholars show how this focus on standard English dialect is to the detriment of those which are non-standard or from other areas of the world. Alternative Histories of English: * reveals the range of possible 'narratives' about how different varieties of 'Englishes' may have emerged * places emphasis on pragmatic, sociolinguistic and discourse-oriented aspects of English rather than the traditional grammar, vocabulary and phonology * considers diverse topics including South African English, Indian English, Southern Hemisphere Englishes, Early Modern English, women's writing, and politeness. Presenting a fuller and richer picture of the complexity of the history of English, the contributors to Alternative Histories of English explain why English is the diverse world language it is today.




International English


Book Description

Cover -- Copyright -- Title -- Contents -- Note on the sixth edition -- Acknowledgements -- Symbols -- 1 Standard English in the world -- 1.1 Models of English -- 1.2 The spread of English -- 1.3 The nature of native overseas Englishes -- 2 English, Australasian, South African and Welsh English -- 2.1 The RP accent -- 2.2 Australian, New Zealand and South African English -- 2.3 Welsh English -- 3 The pronunciation of North American English -- 3.1 North American English vowels -- 3.2 North American English consonants -- 3.3 Regional variation in United States English -- 3.4 The pronunciation of Canadian English -- 3.5 Non-systematic differences between North American English and English English pronunciation -- 3.6 Stress differences -- 3.7 Further differences between American English and Canadian English pronunciation -- 4 English and North American English: grammatical, orthographical and lexical differences -- 4.1 Grammatical differences -- 4.2 Spelling and punctuation differences -- 4.3 Vocabulary differences -- 5 Scottish and Irish English -- 5.1 Scottish English -- 5.2 English in Ireland -- 6 West Indian English and English-based creoles -- 6.1 English-based pidgins -- 6.2 English-based creoles -- 6.3 Decreolization -- 6.4 Post-creoles and mesolectal varieties -- 6.5 West Indian Standard English -- 6.6 English-based creoloids -- 7 Lesser-known Englishes -- 8 Second-language varieties of English -- 8.1 West African English -- 8.2 East African English -- 8.3 Indian English -- 8.4 Singaporean English -- 8.5 English in the Philippines -- 8.6 Fiji English -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index




The British Isles


Book Description

This volume gives a detailed overview of the varieties of English spoken on the British Isles, including lesser-known varieties such as those spoken in Orkney and Shetland and the Channel Islands. The chapters, written by widely acclaimed specialists, provide concise and comprehensive information on the phonological, morphological and syntactic characteristics of each variety discussed. The articles are followed by exercises and study questions. The exercises are geared towards students and can be used for classroom assignments as well as for self study in preparation for exams. Instructors can use the exercises, sound samples and interactive maps to enhance their classroom presentations and to highlight important language features.




Varieties of English


Book Description

Vol. 3: Covers the phonology, morphology and syntax of varieties of English in Pacific and Australasia. This work includes exercises and study questions that can be used for classroom assignments as well as for self study. It includes an interactive CD-ROM which contains sound samples, speech recordings, interactive and synchronized maps.




Postcolonial English


Book Description

The global spread of English has resulted in the emergence of a diverse range of postcolonial varieties around the world. Postcolonial English provides a clear and original account of the evolution of these varieties, exploring the historical, social and ecological factors that have shaped all levels of their structure. It argues that while these Englishes have developed new and unique properties which differ greatly from one location to another, their spread and diversification can in fact be explained by a single underlying process, which builds upon the constant relationships and communication needs of the colonizers, the colonized, and other parties. Outlining the stages and characteristics of this process, it applies them in detail to English in sixteen different countries across all continents as well as, in a separate chapter, to a history of American English. Of key interest to sociolinguists, dialectologists, historical linguists and syntacticians alike, this book provides a fascinating new picture of the growth and evolution of English around the globe.