Language Myths Author:Laurie Bauer (Editor), Peter Trudgill (Editor) 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 wis... more »dom" 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.« less
This book is absolutely AMAZING; it addresses assumptions I didn't even REALIZE could be considered "myths." If you have interest in the topic, grab this guy. I loved it. It brings together so many misconceptions about language and gives them a thorough LINGUISTIC discussion. This isn't a "light" book. It's a valuable resource for language professionals and the interested layperson. Like me. Loved it.