Language Myths
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Laurie BauerEditor: Peter Trudgill
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09-07
ISBN: 0140260234
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Language Myths
Book Review: Linguistic Myth-Busters
Summary: 5 Stars
LANGUAGE MYTHS is a collection of twenty-one essays written by noted modern linguists. Each one takes a "myth" -- something accepted as true by a large number of people -- and debunks that falsehood in the course of their argument. It's a simple enough idea for an anthology, but it works very well. There are many misconceptions about language in general and English in particular, so there is a lot of material for the authors to work with.
This book actually covers quite a lot of ground. To give you an idea, here are some of the essay titles (corresponding to the myths in need of debunking): "The Media are Ruining English", "Women Talk Too Much", "Italian is Beautiful, German is Ugly", "You Shouldn't Say 'It is Me' because 'Me' is Accusative" and "In The Appalachians They Speak Like Shakespeare." There's a lot of variety, from the particulars of English grammar to comparisons of individual languages to how languages are currently evolving.
I really enjoyed the essays of this book. And I liked the fact that I spent a fair amount of time mentally nodding along with it, reading arguments about things that I had instinctively felt were right without having spent the mental energy required to actually wonder why I thought that way. For example, I really dug the reasoning in the "Double Negatives Are Illogical" essay. The assertion that something like "ain't no pandas in that room" would be negated because the (contracted) "not" and the "no" canceled out each other never sat right with me. So I was very open and appreciative of the author's argument.
Conversely, there were plenty of myths that I had unconsciously bought into without having spent sufficient time thinking about. It was fascinating to see the linguists presenting the opposing side.
So, I found this book a nice split between augmenting my own ideas about language and pulling down the walls around some of my own poor assumptions. The one constant in both is that I was forced to more fully elaborate on my own thoughts. Even in cases where I didn't agree with the final conclusion, I at the very least was presented with a logical, well-argued discussion. And for this reason alone, I highly recommend this book, as having one's thoughts challenged in a calm, rational discussion is always a good idea.
Summary of Language Myths
The media are ruining English"; "Some languages are harder than others"; "Children can't speak or write properly anymore." Such pieces of "cultural wisdom" are often expressed in newspapers and on radio and television. Rarely is there a response from experts in the fields of language and language development. In this book Laurie Bauer and Peter Trudgill have invited nineteen respected linguists from all over the world to address these "language myths"--showing that they vary from the misconceived to the downright wrong. With essays ranging from "Women Talk Too Much" and "In the Appalachians They Speak Like Shakespeare" to "Italian Is Beautiful, German Is Ugly" and "They Speak Really Bad English Down South and in New York City," Language Myths is a collection that is wide-ranging, entertaining, and authoritative.
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