African American English: A Linguistic Introduction

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Book Description

When it was first published in 2002, African American English: A Linguistic Introduction (PDF) by Lisa J. Green caused something of a stir in the linguistic community. An in-depth investigation into the grammatical structure, vocabulary, and sociolinguistics of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) has been penned by a native speaker of the language, and it also includes an analysis of a less frequently referenced dialect (New Orleans). The assumption that the reader has prior knowledge of linguistics is made across the entirety of the Cambridge University Press series, and Green's work is not an exception to this rule. If you are not familiar with the fundamentals of linguistics, then reading Spoken Soul: The Story of Black English is going to be a more approachable way to become acquainted with AAVE.

This comprehensive look at the grammar of African American English (AAE) is presented for the very first time in this definitive introduction to the language. It demonstrates patterns in the building of sentences, the sound system, the production of phrases, and the utilization of phrases in a way that is efficiently arranged. Education, speaking activities within the secular and non-spiritual worlds, and the utilization of AAE to assemble black images in literature and the media are all topics that are discussed. It is required reading for high school students who are studying education, anthropology, linguistics, African American studies, and literature, and it includes workout regimens to complement each chapter.

About half of the book is devoted to discussing the grammatical structure and lexicon of AAVE. Green refers to terms that can alone be discovered in AAVE (for example, “kitchen” in the which means of “hair on the nape,” “ashy” for skin, and many others.). Green phrases are highlighted in green. She then goes on to discuss the AAE's confusing number of verbal markers in addition to its intriguing syntactic pointers, demonstrating how this non-standard, low-status choice can nevertheless be elegant and regular despite its lack of social standing. The phonology chapter discusses a variety of topics, including final consonant sounds, devoicing, sound patterns, liquid vocalization, and th sounds.

The study of sociolinguistics is covered in depth in the second half of this ebook. In one of the few volumes in this Cambridge series that covers speech occasions and guidelines of interaction, Green describes name-response, rap braggadocio, and “playing the hundreds” among the many group of AAVE audio system users. This volume is one of the few volumes that covers speech occasions. Green devotes a whole chapter to the topic of AAVE in literature, beginning with the early and sometimes erroneous representations of black people seen in minstrel shows and continuing on to AAE in the works of African-American writers. The final chapter addresses how AAVE is dealt with in the public school system in the United States, and I was surprised to learn that speech pathologists are called in to “heal” speakers who do not have any issues with their speech organs and who have simply picked up this non-standard choice on their own naturally.

This is a really extensive book, with numerous references to various research and examples of AAE's range that are not always visible in different remedies. This kind of information is not often there in other works. On the other hand, the editing and formatting of the book could have been improved upon to a greater degree. The sheer volume of information contained on both the page and the website might quickly become overwhelming. The fact that Green employs both IPA and standard English orthography inside the same sentence has no discernible function, although it does make transcribing a bit more difficult.

NOTE: This deal solely comprises of the ebook African American English: A Linguistic Introduction in PDF. There are no access codes provided.