About this title: This is a unique collection of original essays by 21 of the world's leading linguists. The topics discussed focus on some of the most popular myths about language: the media are ruining English; children can't speak or write properly anymore; and, America is ruining the English language. The tone is lively and entertaining throughout and there are cartoons from Doonesbury and The Wizard of Id to illustrate some of the points. The book should have a wide readership not only amongst students who want to read leading linguists writing about popular misconceptions but also amongst the large ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1999-09-07
ISBN-13:9780140260236ISBN:0140260234
Description: Very Good in None As Issued jacket. Cover shows light shelfwear with some faint creasing on rear. Binding is square and tight. Pages are clean and unmarked. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Date Published: 1999-09-01
ISBN-13:9780140260236ISBN:0140260234
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780140260236. read more
Description: New. 0140260234 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION. Great Book at a Great Value! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780140260236ISBN:0140260234
Description: New. Language is a part of us all and is tightly woven into human experience. Yet, although research into language has increased at a phenomenal rate over the last fifty years, misconceptions abound. This illuminating and highly readable collection of ess... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780140260236ISBN:0140260234
Description: New. A collection of original essays by 21 of the world's leading linguists. It discusses topics on some of the popular myths about language: the media are ruining English; children can't speak or write properly anymore; and, America is ruining the English... read more
"A lot of the reviews here are coming from people with linguistics backgrounds, and that is not who this book is aimed at. I read this book extra-curricularly (from film school, long ago) and I thought it was pretty informative. if you don't think that people genuinely believe that meanings of words and 'grammar rules' are set in stone and clearly good or bad, right or wrong, i think you must not spend much time with non-linguists. just bobbing around the internet, there are examples of ill-place language snobbery -everywhere-. and the chapters on indigenous australian languages enlighten us to an extremely common form of racism. people turn to dictionaries constantly to 'prove' someone is using a word "incorrectly", or that something "isn't a word".
the book is aimed to debunk laypeople's misunderstandings. not as an acedemic tome for people studying language. and for some of us, these are ideas we know are myths, but maybe not how to explain why."
"read for my language & culture class. not that exciting for me because it didn't go into enough depth (lots of short chapters), but this book would be an amazing read for someone who's just dipping toes into the wonders of language."
"Provides a great perspective on language and American society's perception of it. Each essay is equally intriguing and revealing. I loved the essay about Southern and New York accents, given the fact I'm Southern.
Also, I do not understand the low ratings this book has. Langauge Myths DOES deconstruct what we assume about language. And, yes, they are right when they claim the idea that some langauges are harder to learn than others is bogus. I learned both French and Russian and did not ever think one language was harder than another. The only reason people assume this is because some languages, like Russian, differ vastly from English. So, of course to some people beginning to learn a langauge like that will appear hard at first. The key to learning any langauge is accepting the fact that not all langauges translate directly, word-for-word from English. Once you accept that idea, whatever language you study will seem fairly simple. Even Russian. (And I can say that with confidence!)"
"A good idea, I guess, to debunk language myths from an academic perspective, but it comes off as dry an scattered. Each chapter is by a different stuffed shirt, so it's kind of inconsistent in content. It's best just to read the chapter titles and know these are myths, but there's no need to read the chapters themselves, since the argumentation is usually lost in all the technicalities employed by these furiously signifying monkeys."
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