Language Myths (Paperback)

~ Laurie Bauer (Editor), Peter Trudgill (Editor) "All languages change all the time..." (more)
Key Phrases: mountain speech, fixed word order, New York, British English, New Zealand (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product 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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140260234
• ISBN-13: 978-0140260236
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,506 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the layman, March 14, 2003

By	M. Karapcik "Mike" (Temple Terrace, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good source of information for linguists and non-linguists, April 5, 2000

By	John Stephenson (Manchester, England) - See all my reviews

Unfortunately, linguistic research is generally inaccessible to the non-linguist and so much that is written about human language for the masses is by non-specialists who take the opportunity to air their own prejudices. This book addresses many misconceptions about language, often supported by highly reputable authors who nevertheless can be shown to know nothing about the way language works. As editor Peter Trudgill says, if you want to know about physics, you ask a physicist; and if you want to know about language you ask a linguist and not just someone who has used it successfully in the past. The chapters are written by highly competent academics who are well-known in the linguistics community, and despite their being written for lay readers, there is much here that is also relevant for linguists and students of language. Read this book to find out how all languages are equally complex, why linguistic change is inevitable, and to laugh at the rubbish newspapers print.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, March 15, 2004

By	T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.