Description
This book provides an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to the study of the dialects of English as they are spoken around the world, from the earliest dialect dictionaries of the sixteenth century to contemporary research emerging from the field of geolinguistics. Organised into ten thematic chapters, it explores and evaluates the methods and purposes of each approach to the study of dialectal variation, with full explanations of technical terms throughout. Illuminating one of the most productive fields of interest in language study, this compelling book is essential reading for students of dialect and regional difference in English.
There are some institutions which offer advanced undergraduate and postgraduate modules in dialectology/ regional variation, and this could be a set text for such modules. It would be an important resource for students undertaking dissertations/ theses in this area, and would therefore have a library market. I am happy with the overall balance and scope of the book. The main strength of the project is its timeliness. There is a new interest in regional variation, as witnessed by the huge public response to the BBC Voices project, and a number of dialectologists/ sociolinguists are applying insights from human geography to dialect studies in new ways. 'I am very enthusiastic about this. An up-to-date volume on dialectology is long overdue. I would certainly recommend it to students as secondary reading for Sociolinguistics, and for my modules on Late Modern English and Dialect in Literature and Song, both of which involve discussion of 19th - century dialectology. If I were to offer a module on dialectology at third-year undergraduate or masters level, I would recommend this as a set text'. - Professor Joan Beal, University of Sheffield, UK
About the Author
Rob Penhallurick is a Reader in English Language at Swansea University. He has written extensively on dialect study and varieties of English, and is also the author of Studying the English Language.
Reviews
By embedding present-day concepts within the history of ideas, Rob Penhallurick has written the most comprehensive account to date of the evolution and current state of dialect study. Students will especially value his explanations of terminology, the diverse pictorial illustrations, the up-to-date coverage of internet initiatives and resources, and his chapter-related suggestions for further study. * David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics, University of Bangor, UK *
Penhallurick's Studying Dialect provides a thorough history of dialect research. More than that, it involves the reader in a discussion of the issues and debates that have informed that history. Written accessibly for all audiences, the text is full of images, resources and suggestions for hands-on participation in dialect study. Penhallurick's book will fascinate readers who are already in the field, as well as engage its student readers. Because of the author's enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, this work will encourage readers to join the next generation of dialect research. * Alison Burkette, Associate Professor of Linguistics, University of Mississippi, USA *
Here is the sweep of dialect study, from its beginnings in the promptings of philology to its practice in the age of sociolinguistics. In a work meticulously set out by a scholar especially qualified to interpret the breadth of the discipline, the reader has access to its cumulative components, every one of which is essential for a true understanding of the whole. * Clive Upton, Emeritus Professor of Modern English Language, University of Leeds, UK *
This ambitious book is a much welcome introduction to the study of dialects ... [and] a valuable resource for linguistics students and teachers, who will surely benefit from its informativeness, clarity, abundant visuals and suggestions. * Language and Society *
Book Information
ISBN 9780230205819
Author Rob Penhallurick
Format Paperback
Page Count 372
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 654g
There are some institutions which offer advanced undergraduate and postgraduate modules in dialectology/ regional variation, and this could be a set text for such modules. It would be an important resource for students undertaking dissertations/ theses in this area, and would therefore have a library market. I am happy with the overall balance and scope of the book. The main strength of the project is its timeliness. There is a new interest in regional variation, as witnessed by the huge public response to the BBC Voices project, and a number of dialectologists/ sociolinguists are applying insights from human geography to dialect studies in new ways. 'I am very enthusiastic about this. An up-to-date volume on dialectology is long overdue. I would certainly recommend it to students as secondary reading for Sociolinguistics, and for my modules on Late Modern English and Dialect in Literature and Song, both of which involve discussion of 19th - century dialectology. If I were to offer a module on dialectology at third-year undergraduate or masters level, I would recommend this as a set text'. - Professor Joan Beal, University of Sheffield, UK
About the Author
Rob Penhallurick is a Reader in English Language at Swansea University. He has written extensively on dialect study and varieties of English, and is also the author of Studying the English Language.
Reviews
By embedding present-day concepts within the history of ideas, Rob Penhallurick has written the most comprehensive account to date of the evolution and current state of dialect study. Students will especially value his explanations of terminology, the diverse pictorial illustrations, the up-to-date coverage of internet initiatives and resources, and his chapter-related suggestions for further study. * David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics, University of Bangor, UK *
Penhallurick's Studying Dialect provides a thorough history of dialect research. More than that, it involves the reader in a discussion of the issues and debates that have informed that history. Written accessibly for all audiences, the text is full of images, resources and suggestions for hands-on participation in dialect study. Penhallurick's book will fascinate readers who are already in the field, as well as engage its student readers. Because of the author's enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, this work will encourage readers to join the next generation of dialect research. * Alison Burkette, Associate Professor of Linguistics, University of Mississippi, USA *
Here is the sweep of dialect study, from its beginnings in the promptings of philology to its practice in the age of sociolinguistics. In a work meticulously set out by a scholar especially qualified to interpret the breadth of the discipline, the reader has access to its cumulative components, every one of which is essential for a true understanding of the whole. * Clive Upton, Emeritus Professor of Modern English Language, University of Leeds, UK *
This ambitious book is a much welcome introduction to the study of dialects ... [and] a valuable resource for linguistics students and teachers, who will surely benefit from its informativeness, clarity, abundant visuals and suggestions. * Language and Society *
Book Information
ISBN 9780230205819
Author Rob Penhallurick
Format Paperback
Page Count 372
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 654g
