This book is designed as a beginning linguistics text with a strong emphasis on the interaction between American English and its speakers. Its organization is unique. Instead of following a progression of linguistic disciplines, with examples from world languages, the book grounds language structure and usage in the theme of language change, with examples from American English. The authors take a conversational tone and address the reader directly, as though the text was a written component of class discussion. In the study questions, they frequently ask the reader to consider examples from the reader's own experience of language or to reflect on a “hot topic” such as regional accents. The authors thus aim to “appl[y] current linguistic concepts and theories to contemporary situations drawn from American culture” (xvii).
Each chapter begins with a list of key terms that are bolded in the text and included in a glossary at the back of the book. Chapters conclude with a short summary of what was covered. There are also exercises for individuals and small groups, both within the text and at the end of each chapter. The book itself begins with a broad look at a descriptivist approach to the study of language, touching on topics such as language innateness and language and identity. This introductory chapter covers several key concepts in a short space but could be used as a springboard for in-depth class discussion.
The chapters are tied together by the theme of language change. Ch. 2 introduces American English, highlighting the factors that have contributed to changes in the language. Ch. 3 broadens an explanation of the basics of morphology into a discussion of how the lexicon changes over time. Ch. 4 builds on concepts from the previous two chapters to walk the reader through the history of English. Ch. 5, one of the more theoretical chapters, presents a well-crafted discussion of descriptive approaches to grammar, accompanied by a brief explanation of tree diagrams and phrase-structure rules. Ch. 6 connects the IPA and phonology to American English orthography and a history of spelling standardization in English. Ch. 7, a theory-based account of language meaning, covers not only semantics and pragmatics but also concepts from discourse analysis. Ch. 8 explores American dialects, highlighting Chicano English and African American English. The discussion emphasizes that all dialects are valid, systematic, and constantly changing. Ch. 9 presents the history of language policy in the United States and makes extensive use of contemporary examples that readers will recognize. Ch. 10 asks readers to apply what they have learned about linguistics to language policies regarding second language learners. The discussion of language acquisition in this chapter moves directly into the “hot topic” of teaching Standard American English to World English speakers.
This book provides an introduction to linguistics that will be especially valuable for courses for nonlinguistics majors at American universities. Readers will gain an understanding of the descriptivist approach to language, as well as an awareness of major subdisciplines of linguistics. Readers will also be able to connect the study of language to their own experience of the language around them.
