Africa, South and Southeast Asia - (Varieties of English) by Rajend Mesthrie (Paperback)

About the Book

These new multimedia textbooks cover the phonology, morphology and syntax of varieties of English around the world. They will be published in four volumes, sorted according to regions, and each volume will be accompanied by an interactive CD-ROM.

The articles, written by widely acclaimed specialists, provide concise and comprehensive information on the phonetic, morphological and syntactic characteristics of each variety discussed. They are followed by exercises and study questions that can be used for class-room assignments as well as for self study in preparation for exams.

The multimedia CD-ROM contains sound samples, speech recordings, interactive and synchronized maps, an extensive bibliography on relevant research literature, and links to pertinent websites.

Key features:

• include study questions and exercises that will involve students actively in the learning process
• division into regions will allow teachers to focus onto specific areas
• enhanced by a multimedia CD-ROM with a unique collection of speech recordings of English and interactive maps that allow either phonological or morphosyntactic (grammatical) comparisons

Varieties of English will be essential reading for those studying and teaching English linguistics and also invaluable for researchers requiring an update in the area.

Book Synopsis

This volume gives a detailed overview of the varieties of English spoken in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, including L1 varieties (such as White South African or St Helena English), L2 varieties (such as Cameroon, Pakistani, or Malaysian English) as well as pidgins and creoles (such as Nigerian or Ghanaian Pidgin).

The chapters, written by widely acclaimed specialists, provide concise and comprehensive information on the phonological, morphological and syntactic characteristics of each variety discussed.

The articles are followed by exercises and study questions. The exercises are geared towards students and can be used for classroom assignments as well as for self study in preparation for exams. Instructors can use the exercises, sound samples and interactive maps to enhance their classroom presentations and to highlight important language features.

Review Quotes

"Overall the book is enjoyable and inspiring. I consider it a useful educational tool that is highly appropriate for inclusion in a wide array of courses, including the history of English, historical and comparative linguistics, language typology, and language documentation. This impressive publication makes progress towards rethinking assumptions that associate the development of contemporary Englishes with eurocentric language ideologies, at the same time that it encourages conversation across research traditions. Students and instructors will appreciate the global focus, and the inclusion of rich written and audio data."
Don E. Walicek in: Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 24:2/2009

"This volume, together with its companion volumes, is an invaluable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the varieties of English. Students and
scholars alike will find it a useful reference tool; its stated audience of
students makes it a perfect textbook resource for teachers. [...] The interactive CD-ROM that comes with the volume contains information and
recordings for all the varieties described in the four volumes. This addition
makes even a single volume an amazing teaching and reference tool."
Jakob R. E. Leimgruber in: Linguist List 20.2281