Speaking American

Speaking American PDF

Author: Richard W. Bailey

Publisher: OUP USA

Published: 2012-01-23

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 019517934X

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Investigates the history and continuing evolution of American English, from the 16th century to the present, to celebrate the endless variety and remarkable inventiveness that have always been at the heart of our language. By the author of Images of English: A Cultural History of the Language.

The United States of English

The United States of English PDF

Author: Rosemarie Ostler

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023-08-01

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0197647316

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The story of how English became American -- and how it became Southern, Bostonian, Californian, African-American, Chicano, elite, working-class, urban, rural, and everything in between By the time of the Revolution, the English that Americans spoke was recognizably different from the British variety. Americans added dozens of new words to the language, either borrowed from Native Americans (raccoon, persimmon, caucus) or created from repurposed English (backwoods, cane brake, salt lick). Americans had their own pronunciations (bath rhymed with hat, not hot) and their own spelling (honor, not honour), not to mention a host of new expressions that grew out of the American landscape and culture (blaze a trail, back track, pull up stakes). Americans even invented their own slang, like stiff as a ringbolt to mean drunk. American English has continued to grow and change ever since. The United States of English tells the engrossing tale of how the American language evolved over four hundred years, explaining both how and why it changed and which parts of the "mother tongue" it preserved (I guess was heard in the British countryside long before it became a typical Americanism). Rosemarie Ostler approaches American English as part of the larger story of American history and culture, starting with what we know about the first colonists and their speech. Drawing on the latest research, she explores the roots of regional dialects, the differences between British and American language use, the sources of American slang, the development of African American English, current trends in political language, and much more. Plentiful examples of the American vernacular, past and present, bring the language to life and make for an engaging as well as enlightening read.

English in the Southern United States

English in the Southern United States PDF

Author: Stephen J. Nagle

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2003-01-09

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1139436783

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The English of the southern United States is possibly the most studied of any regional variety of any language because of its rich internal diversity, its distinctiveness among regional varieties in the United States, its significance as a marker of regional identity, and the general folkloric appeal of southern culture. However, most, if not all, books about Southern American English have been directed almost exclusively toward scholars already working in the field. This 2003 volume, written by a team of experts, many of them internationally known, provides a broad overview of the foundations of and research on language variation in the southern United States designed to invite inquiry and inquirers. It explores historical and cultural elements, iconic contemporary features, and changes in progress. Central themes, issues and topics of scholarly investigation and debate figure prominently throughout the volume. The extensive bibliography will facilitate continued research.

English with an Accent

English with an Accent PDF

Author: Rosina Lippi-Green

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-03-15

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 1136597298

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Since its initial publication, English with an Accent has provoked debate and controversy within classrooms through its in-depth scrutiny of American attitudes towards language. Rosina Lippi-Green discusses the ways in which discrimination based on accent functions to support and perpetuate social structures and unequal power relations. This second edition has been reorganized and revised to include: new dedicated chapters on Latino English and Asian American English discussion questions, further reading, and suggested classroom exercises, updated examples from the classroom, the judicial system, the media, and corporate culture a discussion of the long-term implications of the Ebonics debate a brand-new companion website with a glossary of key terms and links to audio, video, and images relevant to the each chapter's content. English with an Accent is essential reading for students with interests in attitudes and discrimination towards language.

The United States Congress

The United States Congress PDF

Author: Ross English

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 2003-09-06

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 9780719063091

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"The role of the Congress is essential to any study of American government and politics. It would be impossible to gain a complete understanding of the American system of government without an appreciation of the nature and workings of this essential body. This is an introductory text aimed at undergraduates studying American politics and American society. It looks at the workings of the United States Congress, and uses the Republican period of ascendancy, which lasted from 1994 until 2000, as an example of how the Congress works in practice. The book illustrates the basic principles of Congress using contemporary and recent examples, while also drawing attention to the changes that took place in the 1990s. The period of Republican control is absent from many of the standard texts and is of considerable academic interest for a number of reasons, not least the 1994 election, the budget deadlock in 1995 and the Clinton impeachment scandal of 1999. The book traces the origin and development of the United States Congress, before looking in depth at the role of representatives and senators, the committee system, parties in Congress, and the relationship between Congress and the President, the media and interest groups. This will be the first textbook on the market that enables students to incorporate these developments into their work and into their thinking about contemporary American politics and society"--Publisher's description.

American Language Supplement 1

American Language Supplement 1 PDF

Author: H.L. Mencken

Publisher: Knopf

Published: 2012-02-08

Total Pages: 798

ISBN-13: 0307808785

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Perhaps the first truly important book about the divergence of American English from its British roots, this survey of the language as it was spoken-and as it was changing-at the beginning of the 20th century comes via one of its most inveterate watchers, journalist, critic, and editor HENRY LOUIS MENCKEN (1880-1956).In this replica of the 1921 "revised and enlarged" second edition, Mencken turns his keen ear on: • the general character of American English • loan-words and non-English influences • expletives and forbidden words • American slang • the future of the language • and much, much more. Anyone fascinated by words will find this a thoroughly enthralling look at the most changeable language on the face of the planet.

Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary PDF

Author: John A. Simpson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2002-04-18

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780195218893

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The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.

The Miseducation of English Learners

The Miseducation of English Learners PDF

Author: Grace P. McField

Publisher: IAP

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1623964563

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Sometimes you need to hear the story from the beginning. The Miseducation of English Learners examines the initial policy impact of Structured English Immersion (SEI), an English-only program mandated for English Learners (ELs) in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts in the United States. The book features analyses of: the legal context and parameters of SEI; research history on SEI; SEI language policy and policy implementation according to situated context; and the educational priorities and legal rights of ELs. The book examines the history of SEI in the educational research literature and as it has been interpreted in the context of the legal requirement for schools to take “appropriate action” to meet the needs of ELs following the historic Lau v. Nichols (1974) court decision. The Miseducation of English Learners also presents and considers the implementation of SEI in comparative contexts from various perspectives including teacher education, the classroom, and legal. In several of the chapters, SEI implementation is examined in concert with other factors that have effected the teaching and progress of ELs such as Senate Bill 2042 (2001) that overhauled the teacher education process in California, and the federal No Child Left Behind legislation (signed into law on January 8, 2002). Moreover, the book provides implications and recommendations for teaching, research, advocacy, and policy change. The Miseducation of English Learners addresses and invites the readers to consider the following key questions: • How “appropriate” is the mandated SEI program for ELs, both in substance and in the one-year duration as specified in the three voter-initiated propositions (Proposition 227, Proposition 203, and Question 2)? • What issues, themes, and patterns can be noted in the implementation of SEI in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts? • Why might the student outcomes not show the desired results in measures such as achievement test scores or dropout rates? • What necessary changes are called for in order to enhance (or in some cases supplant) the SEI programs and services in place for ELs? • Are ELs, parents, and other stakeholders able to thoughtfully select desired and optimal instructional programs, and participate meaningfully in the educational process of language minority students under the SEI mandates?

Made in America

Made in America PDF

Author: Bill Bryson

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2016-09-08

Total Pages: 594

ISBN-13: 1784161861

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'Funny, wise, learned and compulsive' - GQ Bill Bryson turns away from travelling the highways and byways of middle America, so hilariously depicted in his bestselling The Lost Continent, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and Notes from a Big Country, for a fast, exhilarating ride along the Route 66 of American language and popular culture. In Made in America, Bryson tells the story of how American arose out of the English language, and along the way, de-mythologizes his native land - explaining how a dusty desert hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how they were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up - as well as exposing the true origins of the words G-string, blockbuster, poker and snafu. 'A tremendously sassy work, full of zip, pizzazz and all those other great American qualities' Will Self, Independent on Sunday