Full Description
Why is it that some ways of using English are considered "good" and others are considered "bad"? Why are certain forms of language termed elegant, eloquent or refined, whereas others are deemed uneducated, coarse, or inappropriate? Making Sense of "Bad English" is an accessible introduction to attitudes and ideologies towards the use of English in different settings around the world. Outlining how perceptions about what constitutes "good" and "bad" English have been shaped, this book shows how these principles are based on social factors rather than linguistic issues and highlights some of the real-life consequences of these perceptions.
Features include:
an overview of attitudes towards English and how they came about, as well as real-life consequences and benefits of using "bad" English;
explicit links between different English language systems, including child's English, English as a lingua franca, African American English, Singlish, and New Delhi English;
examples taken from classic names in the field of sociolinguistics, including Labov, Trudgill, Baugh, and Lambert, as well as rising stars and more recent cutting-edge research;
links to relevant social parallels, including cultural outputs such as holiday myths, to help readers engage in a new way with the notion of Standard English;
supporting online material for students which features worksheets, links to audio and news files, further examples and discussion questions, and background on key issues from the book.
Making Sense of "Bad English" provides an engaging and thought-provoking overview of this topic and is essential reading for any student studying sociolinguistics within a global setting.
Contents
List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Rationale for this book; Terminology used in this book; Introduction to Part 1: Making sense of "Bad English"; Chapter 1. English speakers in outer-circle and expanding-circle settings; Chapter 2: Where does "Good English" come from, and what does it have to do with Santa Claus?; Chapter 3. "Bad" English in inner-circle settings; Chapter 4. How "Bad English" works against us: linguistic discrimination in the USA; Chapter 5: Why does "Bad English" still exist?; Introduction to Part 2; Chapter 6: Acquisition of English as a mother tongue; Chapter 7: African American English; Chapter 8. Competing explanations for linguistic features in the outer circle; Chapter 9: English as a lingua franca; Summary of Part 2 ;Chapter 10. Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.
