Standard English draws together the leading international scholars in the field, who confront the debates surrounding 'Standard English', grammar and correctness head-on.
These debates are as intense today as ever and extend far beyond an academic context. Current debates about the teaching of English in the school curriculum and concerns about declining standards of English are placed in a historical, social and international context. Standard English:
* explores the definitions of 'Standard English', with particular attention to distinctions between spoken and...

Standard English draws together the leading international scholars in the field, who confront the debates surrounding 'Standard English', grammar and correctness head-on.
These debates are as intense today as ever and extend far beyond an academic context. Current debates about the teaching of English in the school curriculum and concerns about declining standards of English are placed in a historical, social and international context. Standard English:
* explores the definitions of 'Standard English', with particular attention to distinctions between spoken and...

Using a wide range of data from real-life speech situations, this introduction to politeness theory breaks away from the limitations of current models. It argues that the proper object of study in politeness theory must be "common sense" definitions of politeness and impoliteness. Richard Watts concludes that a more appropriate model, based on Bourdieu's concept of social practice, can thus be developed.

Using a wide range of data from real-life speech situations, this introduction to politeness theory breaks away from the limitations of current models. It argues that the proper object of study in politeness theory must be "common sense" definitions of politeness and impoliteness. Richard Watts concludes that a more appropriate model, based on Bourdieu's concept of social practice, can thus be developed.

The second edition of this collection of 13 original papers contains an updated introductory section detailing the significance that the original articles published in 1992 have for the further development of research into linguistic politeness into the 21st century.

The original articles focus on the phenomenon of politeness in language. They present the most important problems in developing a theory of linguistic politeness, which must deal with the crucial differences between lay notions of politeness in different cultures and the term 'politeness' as a concept within a theory of...

Language Myths and the History of English aims to deconstruct the myths that are traditionally reproduced as factual accounts of the historical development of English. Using concepts and interpretive sensibilities developed in the field of sociolinguistics over the past 40 years, Richard J. Watts unearths these myths and exposes their ideological roots. His goal is not to construct an alternative discourse, but to offer alternative readings of the historical data. Watts raises the question of what we mean by a linguistic ideology, and whether any discourse--a hegemonic discourse, an...

This volume will examine the concept of performance with a specific focus on “folksong," or vernacular song, in the Anglo-British, Anglo-American tradition. It will focus on concepts such as "community of practice," "cultural memory," and "standardisation" to assess the significance of the study of folksong in linguistics.