Synopses & Reviews
Over the last four centuries, the English language has spread from its ancestral home to every continent and virtually every country in the world. It is spoken daily in some form by an estimated one thousand million people. Some use it as a mother tongue, others as a second foreign language, but most use it as a lingua franca--a medium which permits communication among people who do not share a language.
Almost all world languages have been influenced by English and in return the English language has borrowed words from all parts of the world. The language has become flexible enough to express the aspirations and cultures of people as far apart as London and Lagos and to reflect the changing life styles of speakers from New York to Papua New Guinea. Such rich diversity is the subject matter of this book.
Many aspects of variety in contemporary English are explored, beginning with the contrasts between written and spoken English. The nature of dialect is thoroughly examined, as are pidgins and creoles--the so-called New Englishes. The book also includes discussions of paralinguistic features, style, the language of the media, advertising, the classroom and literature, including literature written in English by people for whom English is not a mother tongue.
Synopsis
First Published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Synopsis
This newly up-dated second edition provides a concise and comprehensive exploration of the complex variations to which a language is subject. The English language has spread a lot over the last few centuries and this takes
Synopsis
First Published in 1992. This is an exploration of the complex kinds of variation which occur in and between written and spoken English. Dialect, Pidgeon and Creole English are examined and the types of lingustics employed in advertising, literature and the classroom are discussed. The book is intended as an introduction to the study of English language. It is aimed primarily at college and university students, particularly thosed who are likely to find themselves teaching a language. It may also appeal to teachers, the general reader and sixth form pupils.