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    Linguistics for Teachers of English

    (9 reviews)

    Carol Russell, Kansas State University

    Copyright Year:

    ISBN 13: 9781944548179

    Publisher: New Prairie Press

    Language: English

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    Reviews

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    Reviewed by Carly Martino, Assistant Professor, Roxbury Community College on 7/8/24

    The text covers everything that is presented in a very introductory way. The textbook covers the History of the English language and its roots, Language as Communication, Various Dialects of English and Language in the Classroom. While the the... read more

    Reviewed by Jane Hardy, Associate Professor, Wabash College on 11/7/22

    The text covers the four indicated subject areas (the history of English, language as communication, dialects, and language in the classroom), but some of the coverage is superficial and leaves out relevant, foundational material. For the history... read more

    Reviewed by Helene Krauthamer, Professor, The University of the District of Columbia on 6/13/21

    The book covers quite a lot of ground regarding what a teacher of English should know about linguistics. It starts with an overview of the history of English, then moves into word formation, dialects, language acquisition, sign language, and... read more

    Reviewed by Safia Diarra, ELL Instructor, Earlham College on 4/8/21

    Not all ideas of the subject were covered. The textbook is supposed to cover all forms of English but didn't include any examples of global Englishes. And while it did include AAVE, no other vernaculars were included (e.g. Chicano English). What... read more

    Reviewed by Katherine Martin, Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale on 4/1/21

    “Linguistics for Teachers of English” is a short textbook which covers a subset of key topics that would be critical for a general introduction to linguistics for teachers: the history of English (Unit 1), language as communication (Unit 2),... read more

    Reviewed by Cynthia Kilpatrick, Assistant Professor of Instruction, University of Texas at Arlington on 2/25/21

    The book provides a clear and easy-to-read introduction to some key areas of linguistics, including the history of English, growth of the lexicon, some sociolinguistic factors, competence vs performance, dialects, and accents. However, many... read more

    Reviewed by Edwin Battistella, Professor, Southern Oregon University on 12/14/20

    Based on the description ("The primary goals of this text are to acquaint prospective teachers of English with certain aspects of the history, structure, and use of the English Language."), I was expecting a more comprehensive treatment of the... read more

    Reviewed by Regine Pellicer, Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/15/20

    This book first provides an overview of the history of the English language (pp. 1-38) divided into three sections: Olde English, Middle English, and Modern English. This unit offers maps, visual timelines, hyperlinks, and a fun way to look at the... read more

    Reviewed by CHRISTINE DISCOE, Instructor, Colorado State University on 11/10/20

    Linguistics for Teachers of English covers a wide range of background information about the history, study and knowledge of linguistics, ranging from a broad yet simple explanation of the evolution of the English language, from Old to Modern... read more

    Table of Contents

    • Introduction
    • History
    • Language as Communication
    • Dialects
    • Language in the Classroom

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    About the Book

    The primary goals of this text are to acquaint prospective teachers of English with certain aspects of the history, structure, and use of the English Language. Through considering the nature of the English language; how language and culture are interconnected as well as how it is acquired and how and why it changes, readers will come to a fuller understanding of sociolinguistics. This text discusses the nature of language, as well as how it is acquired; how and why languages change, and how the English language in particular has changed (and continues to change); why different varieties of English have developed, and why they continue to be used; how linguists have attempted to account for the (ir)regularities of English; how language and culture are related; and how linguistics can be used as a tool in the classroom. This text presents important topics for English teachers to know: the relationship between “standard” and “nonstandard” dialects, how and why language varies, how we can make informed decisions about what is “right” and “wrong” in language use, and generally how a sound knowledge of how language works can inform and benefit the pedagogical strategies needed to develop as a teacher. Ultimately, I want readers to think about language in ways not thought of before: objectively, passionately, critically, analytically, and logically. This allows readers to move beyond memorization of facts to original thought (which is sort of like the difference between knowing how to add and subtract, and being able to balance a checkbook).

    About the Contributors

    Author

    Carol Russell, Kansas State University

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