Language Myths

Myth 1. The meanings of words should not be allowed to vary or change / Peter Trudgill -- Myth 2. Some languages are just not good enough / Ray Harlow -- Myth 3. The media are ruining English / Jean Aitchison -- Myth 4. French is a logical language / Anthony Lodge -- Myth 5. English spelling is kattastroffik / Edward Carney -- Myth 6. Women talk too much / Janet Holmes -- Myth 7. Some languages are harder than others / Lars-Gunnar Andersson -- Myth 8. Children can't speak or write properly any more / James Milroy -- Myth 9. In the Appalachians they speak like Shakespeare / Michael Montgomery -- Myth 10. Some languages have no grammar / Winifred Bauer -- Myth 11. Italian is beautiful, German is ugly / Howard Giles and Nancy Niedzielski -- Myth 12. Bad grammar is slovenly / Lesley Milroy -- Myth 13. Black children are verbally deprived / Walt Wolfram -- Myth 14. Double negatives are illogical / Jenny Cheshire -- Myth 15. TV makes people sound the same / J.K. Chambers -- Myth 16. You shouldn't say "it is me" because "me" is accusative / Laurie Bauer -- Myth 17. They speak really bad English down South and in New York City / Dennis R. Preston -- Myth 18. Some languages are spoken more quickly than others / Peter Roach -- Myth 19. Aborigines speak a primitive language / Nicholas Evans -- Myth 20. Everyone has an accent except me / John H. Esling -- Myth 21. America is ruining the English language / John Algeo. 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; America Is Ruining The English Language. The Tone Is Lively And Entertaining Throughout And There Are Cartoons From Doonesbury Andthe 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 Number Of People Who Enjoy Reading About Language In General. 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 language.