Varieties of English: A Typological Approach

by Peter Siemund

Overview

English is a highly diversified language that appears in a multitude of different varieties across the globe. These varieties may differ extensively in their structural properties. This coursebook is an introduction to the fascinating range of regional and social varieties encountered around the world. Comparing grammatical phenomena, the book analyses the varieties in depth, identifying patterns and limits of variation, and providing clear explanations. Using comparisons with other languages, the book identifies universal as well as language-specific aspects of variation in English. This book is specially designed to meet the needs of students, each chapter contains useful exercises targeted at three different ability levels and succinct summaries and practical lists of key words help students to review and identify important facts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107240902
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/09/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Peter Siemund is Professor and Chair of English Linguistics at the University of Hamburg.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Reflexivity and reflexive marking; 3. Pronominal gender; 4. Pronominal case; 5. Determiners; 6. Tense marking; 7. Aspect marking; 8. Modal verbs; 9. Negation; 10. Subject-verb agreement; 11. Ditransitive constructions; 12. Interrogative constructions; 13. The formation of relative clauses; 14. Summary and outlook.

Editorial Reviews

Advance praise: "This book offers a unique exploration of morphosyntactic variation across varieties of English from a functional typological perspective. It is a meticulously-designed textbook, and a treasure trove of new insights into vernacular Englishes worldwide." —Donald Winford, The Ohio State University.

"Professor Siemund's textbook is an innovative and easily accessible introduction to World Englishes, with up-to-date topics and lucid exposition. It is an excellent source of information on the grammatical consequences of the spread of English, and is of immense interest not only to students of World Englishes but also to students of general dialectological and typological issues." —Zhiming Bao, Department of English Language and Literature, National University of Singapore

"Here at last is the textbook much missed both by students and university teachers in classes on structural variation in World Englishes, dialects of English, and English-based Pidgins and Creoles. Developed and refined in numerous linguistics classes, it is thought-provoking and yet easily digestible for advanced undergraduate and graduate students (and likewise for a more senior readership), an effect enhanced not least by well-chosen sets of exercises following each of the chapters." —Bernd Kortmann, Professor of English Linguistics, University of Freiburg

"Based on a wide range of data from varieties of English all over the world, Peter Siemund’s book on Varieties of English: A Typological Approach manages to build a much needed bridge between linguistic typology and variationist study of language. It provides the reader with a balanced discussion of morphosyntactic features common to, or different between, varieties of English and seeks explanations for them in terms of linguistic universals and/or sociohistorical background factors." —Markku Filppula, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus

From the Publisher