16.3541, Review: Dialectology: Wolfram & Schilling-Estes (2005)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-16-3541. Tue Dec 13 2005. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 16.3541, Review: Dialectology: Wolfram & Schilling-Estes (2005)

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1)
Date: 08-Dec-2005
From: Cynthia McCollie-Lewis < cmccollielew at njcu.edu >
Subject: American English Dialects and Variation, Second Edition 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:56:56
From: Cynthia McCollie-Lewis < cmccollielew at njcu.edu >
Subject: American English Dialects and Variation, Second Edition 
 

AUTHORS: Wolfram, Walt; Schilling-Estes, Natalie 
TITLE: American English 
SUBTITLE: Dialects and Variation, 2nd edition
SERIES: Language in Society 
PUBLISHER: Blackwell Publishing 
YEAR: 2005 
Announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-1907.html 

Cynthia McCollie-Lewis, Department of English, New Jersey City 
University, New Jersey

SUMMARY:

This second edition of ''American English: Dialects and Variation'' by 
Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes is a ''thoroughly revised and 
updated version'' of the 1998 text by the same title.  This volume is 
written for a broad-based student audience, including those who have 
not previously studied linguistics.  The language is accessible and the 
authors' goal is to keep linguistic terminology to a minimum.  It is 
appropriate for upper level undergraduate and graduate students.  
The text is conceptually divided into four sections: a basic introduction 
to dialect variation (ch.1-3), the history and development of dialects of 
American English (ch. 4), social factors influencing dialect variation 
(ch. 5-9), and applications of dialect study (ch. 10-11).  

SYNOPSIS

Chapter 1 (1-27): In ''Dialects, Standards, and Vernaculars,'' the 
authors begin by defining the term 'dialect' as used in linguistics and 
as used popularly.  Then they move into a discussion of myths and 
linguistic realities concerning dialect variation, notions of standard 
versus vernacular varieties, and choice of labels for vernaculars. 
Some of the myths considered are: ''a dialect is something that 
someone else speaks; only varieties of a language spoken by socially 
disfavored groups are dialects, and [dialects] are deviations from 
standard speech.''  The chapter ends with a consideration of why 
people study dialects.  

Chapter 2 (28-63), ''Why Dialects,'' addresses questions such as, why 
are there so many dialects, what factors influence dialect difference, 
and why do dialects persist in a country where there is widespread 
media influence?  To answer these and other questions, social, 
historical, and linguistic explanations are provided.  However, the 
authors acknowledge that varying combinations of these factors 
produce unique results.  Therefore, ''...when sociohistorical and 
linguistic factors come together in combinations and proportions that 
are sometimes difficult to specify exactly...the resultant product- the 
dialect- turns out to be a unique variety whose distinctive flavor would 
be lost if it were mechanistically constructed...(63)

Chapter 3 (64-102): ''Levels of Dialect,'' discusses the ways in which 
dialects may differ.  Each ''level'' -- lexicon, phonology, grammar, 
semantic, and pragmatic--provides one type of distinctiveness.  
Moreover, the chapter explores how these levels of dialect variation 
are distributed across social groups and considers American reactions 
to such differences.

Chapter 4 (102-133): ''Dialects in the United States: Past, Present, 
and Future,'' examines the development of dialects in the United 
States from the earliest arrival of settlers through the current period.  
The basis for understanding dialect patterning is found in the 
interaction among groups, and in settlement and migration patterns.  
Classic analyses (by Kurath) and more recent analyses (by Labov; 
Schneider) of dialect distribution are discussed in this chapter.  

Chapter 5 (134-166): ''Regional Dialects'' discusses various methods 
used in the study of regional dialects.  This chapter takes a more in-
depth look at some of the methodologies introduced in the previous 
chapter.  It includes such topics as elicitation methods, distribution 
patterns of characteristic (and non-characteristic) forms, mechanisms 
of dialect diffusion, and people's perceptions of dialect variation 
(perceptual dialectology).

Chapter 6 (167-210): ''Social and Ethnic Dialects'' delves into an 
examination of varieties that are correlated with specific social and 
ethnic groups.  From the outset the authors indicate that there 
important social implications connected to these varieties, ''...speakers 
may be judged on capabilities ranging from innate intelligence to 
employability and on personal attributes ranging from sense of humor 
to morality'' (167).  Generally less well-known varieties are included in 
this chapter, such as Latino English, Cajun English, and Lumbee 
English.

Chapter 7 (211-233): ''African American English'' is one of the 
revisions made to this second edition.  That is, the 1998 edition 
included the discussion of this variety as part of the previous chapter.  
In addition to discussing the origin and early development of African 
American English, its distinctiveness vis-à-vis European American 
English and its contemporary development are explored.  

Chapter 8 (234-265): ''Gender and Language Variation'' has been 
significantly revised and updated.  The first four subsections discuss 
some of the same gender-based issues as in the 1998 edition, but 
additionally bring to bear new research, including the authors' work on 
Ocracoke English.  The chapter investigates gender-based language 
variation from two research perspectives: that of regional and social 
dialects and that of gender-based individual and conversational 
patterns.  From these perspectives, the reader gets a more 
global, ''large-scale'' view of the subject, as well as one that is more 
local, ''close-up.'' 

Chapter 9 (266-293): ''Dialects and Style'' focuses on variation in the 
speech styles of individuals. The discussion highlights the influence 
that situational changes, attention to speech, audience, and individual 
initiative exert on speech style shifts.  The chapter ends with a focus 
on speaker design approaches to variation, indicating that these 
approaches ''increase our understanding of intra-speaker language 
variation (290).''   

Chapter 10 (294-328): ''On the Applications of Dialect Study'' moves 
the reader to consider practical applications of the information 
presented in the 9 chapters  leading up to this one.  Invoking the 
words of Labov (1982) concerning the ''principle of error correction'' 
and the ''principle of debt incurred,'' the authors recount linguists' 
social activism in situations occurring from the 1960s through 2003. 
The chapter continues by showing the connections that information on 
dialect variation has on general standardized testing, on language 
testing, and on teaching standard English.

Chapter 11 (329-360): ''Dialect Awareness: Extending Application'' 
continues the discussion about the applications of dialect study.  The 
focus in this chapter is applicability to reading and writing.  For 
reading, the writers' concern is the correlation between dialect-
speaking populations and reading failure.  Linguistic considerations 
are placed along side cultural and social ones in addressing this 
area.  In examining dialect features that appear in writing, the chapter 
discusses both inadvertent and deliberate uses.  Information on 
themes for curriculums about dialects and on roles that dialectologists 
can play in increasing dialect awareness, especially within the 
communities in which they have carried out their research, end the 
chapter.

Appendix (361-384): ''An Inventory of Distinguishing Dialect Features'' 
includes phonological and grammatical features that were mentioned 
(and some not mentioned) within the chapters.  The emphasis is on 
features that are ''socially significant in terms of the standard-
vernacular continuum''.

EVALUATION

This second edition of ''American English'' is written in an 
approachable style that should be inviting to a broad audience, 
including those who have not studied linguistics.  Often, chapters 
begin with anecdotes that are familiar scenarios, drawing the reader 
into the material.  The authors state in the preface, ''we have tried to 
keep technical linguistic terminology to a minimum,'' yet, there seems 
to be significant number in the text.  One issue is, of course, how to 
determine what constitutes a ''minimum.''  Another issue is the broad 
audience for which the text is intended.  That is, to the non-linguist 
undergraduate, the technical terms may seem numerous, but to their 
other potential audience--graduate students in linguistics--the 
terminology may be welcomed, feeling just right.  However, to the 
authors' credit, they have integrated the terminology into the narrative 
in an unobtrusive manner such that the beginner can grasp meanings 
without focusing on them, while the incipient specialist can take note 
of them for further study. The text maintains a good balance between 
presenting informative material and providing theoretical frameworks 
for understanding important issues.  Such a balance is quite difficult to 
carry out.

Unlike some revised editions, this one has been ''thoroughly revised'' 
as indicated in the preface.  For example, five of the eleven chapters 
(5, 6, 8, 9, and 11) have been expanded or have new material added.  
Moreover, the chapter on African American English has been 
expanded to the point of becoming its own separate chapter, rather 
than being a subsection of ''Social and Ethnic Dialects, as in the first 
edition.  Even the comprehensive Appendix of dialect features has 
been updated with new entries covering vowel mergers in words like 
Don and Dawn, the progressive with stative verbs, and a new 
structure in the verb phrase section -- the quotative 'be like' and 'go'.  
There are also newly added reference sources for those who want 
more extensive descriptions of dialects.

Another strong feature is the inclusion of many exercises in each 
chapter. These too have been updated or changed.  For instance, 
exercise 4 in the first chapter discussed the term 'ebonics' in the 1998 
edition.  At that time, the 1996 Ebonics Resolution by the Oakland, 
California School Board was a current topic of much research.  In the 
current revised edition, exercise 4 uses the Hispanic or Latino 
population as its focus.  Moreover, labels such as Anglo American 
English have been updated to ones in current use, European 
American English.

While ''American English, 2nd edition'' contains numerous components 
that make it an exceptional text, one that is particularly strong is the 
infusion of cultural, political, and educational implications throughout.  
These are the emphases that Allen (1993) has indicated as relevant 
for ''today's'' student (15).  These foci continue to be important.  In 
addition, since the authors indicate that the text is intended for ''a full 
range of students interested in a course on dialects...,'' highlighting 
such elements is crucial for helping readers understand real world 
connections to the linguistic material and for encouraging the 
development of more positive attitudes about linguistic differences. 

Two additions might make this text even more inviting.  First, while 
each chapter ends with an annotated bibliography of additional 
sources, only two contain web-based resources.  The internet is such 
a ubiquitous site of information for most students that it is almost an 
unspoken expectation that more of these sources will be identified.  
Next, this text fills such an important need -- to provide well 
researched information to counter the many myths and misinformation 
about dialects and dialects speakers -- that strengthening its appeal to 
a wider teacher audience would certainly increase its positive impact.  
That is, it is already written to appeal to the student who is not 
specializing in linguistics.  That very feature makes it also accessible 
to the teacher who has an interest in offering a course on dialects, but 
who is not a linguist.  For such persons, an accompanying teacher's 
manual that provides models (or potential responses) for the 
exercises and that gives additional detailed insights about 
using/teaching the text would make ''American English'' more 
approachable from an instructional perspective.  In this way, this 
incredible text could be of the most good to the most people.

REFERENCES

Ferguson, Charles A. and Heath, Shirley Brice, eds.  Language in the 
USA.  New York, Cambridge University Press, 1981.

Allen, Harold B.  ''American English Enters Academe''.  Glowka, A. 
Wayne and Donald M. Lance, eds.  Language Variation in North 
American English.  New York: Modern Language Association, 1993: 3-
15.

Labov, William.  ''Objectivity and Commitment in Linguistic Science''.  
Language in Society 11, 1982: 165-201. 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Cynthia McCollie-Lewis teaches Composition and Linguistics at New 
Jersey City University.  Her research interests are in sociolinguistics 
and creole linguistics.  Her recent research focuses on teaching 
grammar in the composition classroom and on the 17th and 18th 
century development of African American Vernacular English in 
colonial Virginia.





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