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Language Myths
 
 
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Language Myths [Paperback]

Peter Trudgill (Author), Laurie Bauer (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Book Description

From accents to politics, this fascinating collection of essays from today's leading linguists uncovers the many misconceptions we hold about language

"The media are ruining English"; "Some languages are harder than others"; "Children can't speak or write properly anymore." Such pieces of "cultural wisdom" are often expressed in newspapers and on radio and television. Rarely is there a response from experts in the fields of language and language development. In this book Laurie Bauer and Peter Trudgill have invited nineteen respected linguists from all over the world to address these "language myths"--showing that they vary from the misconceived to the downright wrong. With essays ranging from "Women Talk Too Much" and "In the Appalachians They Speak Like Shakespeare" to "Italian Is Beautiful, German Is Ugly" and "They Speak Really Bad English Down South and in New York City," Language Myths is a collection that is wide-ranging, entertaining, and authoritative.

About the Author

Laurie Bauer is a Reader in Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and the author of many books and articles on word formation, international varieties of English, and language change in current English. Peter Trudgill is Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is the author of several books on dialect and on language and society.
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All languages change all the time. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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9 Reviews
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4.2 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Mar 15 2004
By 
T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Language Myths (Paperback)
This is a collection of essays by today's leading linguists. Their mission is to debunk some of the most popular myths about languages. For example, some of the topics coverd are "Double Negatives Are Illogical," "TV Makes People Sound the Same," and "Some Languages Are Harder Than Others." My favorite essay had to do with the topic of the perception of American dialects.

I think this book is very easy to read and it's not necessary to have a background in linguistics to enjoy it. Also, some of the things you learn by reading this book will give you a chance to get revenge on your high school English teacher. Check it out.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the issues, Feb 7 2004
This review is from: Language Myths (Paperback)
This collection of essays addresses several longstanding myths and misconceptions about how language works. The contributors are all linguists, yet all write in an accessible manner, which makes this ideal reading for the layperson.

Among the issues addressed are whether "bad grammar" is a sign of laziness, whether "kids can't talk or write properly these days," and whether black children are "verbally deprived". These issues are important because the widespread views are founded on very little evidence, and run contrary to everything linguists know about language. The tone of the essays is remarkably gracious, given that most of the language myths are based on pseudo-linguistic arguments that actually boil down to simple ignorance and prejudice.

Readers who will most benefit are those who have swallowed the insistence of the "language mavens" (to use Steven Pinker's phrase) that we ought all to speak "proper English". Books such as this handy volume will go a long way to correcting such misconceived and potentially damaging polemics. Bravo to Trudgehill et al.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the layman, Mar 14 2003
By 
M. Karapcik "Mike" (Temple Terrace, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Language Myths (Paperback)
In my opinion, how much you like this book will depend on how much you know now. If you are a novice to linguistics or just curious, this book is excellent. It covers a broad range of subjects, avoids heavy use of technical jargon, and gives explanations that anyone can follow. The information is clear, well explained (not just "It's like this because it is because I said so."), and entertaining.
If you have already been doing some reading in linguistics, this book may be a bit simplistic. While I found parts interesting, much I already knew. In other cases, since similar arguments are in many works about linguistics (see "Teach Yourself Linguistics 5e" for much more detail than this book), as soon as the argument started, I could figure out the rest faster than it was explained. So, if you have some background in linguistics, this book is good for either (1) light reading, or (2) good explanations to use when people present the misconceptions described in the book.
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