*Cutting-edge and controversial branch of linguistics, closely relating to ideas of ‘verbal hygiene’ and language discrimination, with the potential to bring about changes to the study of linguistics *The first handbook-length treatment of linguistic prescriptivism, inspired by the recent proliferation of research, conferences and undergraduate sociolinguistics courses dedicated to the topic *Includes languages that have traditionally not been the focus of analysis within this field of research, namely highly standardised European languages, thus attracting readership interested in prescriptive efforts outside of their well-explored context

English in Modern Times describes the development of the English language from 1700 until 1945, and argues that it is in the course of this later modern English period that the characteristics of 'modern' English evolved. This is the first undergraduate text to cover the whole of this important period, which has been called the 'Cinderella' of English historical linguistics because of its lack of representation in scholarly literature. This book is sociohistorical in orientation, arguing that social changes in the Anglophone world need to be taken into account if we are to understand the linguistic changes that occurred during this period. Further chapters deal with changes in vocabulary, syntax and morphology and phonology and with the attempts of lexicographers, grammarians and elocutionists to arrest and control these changes by codifying the language. Unlike many earlier histories of English, 'English in Modern Times' does not define 'English' as confined to Standard (English) English, but also considers the development of extraterritorial Englishes and non-standard varieties of British English in the Later Modern period.

The colloquium Perspectives on Prescriptivism (20-22 April 2006) was hosted by the University of Catania -- Faculty of Foreign Languages -- in Ragusa. Until very recently, the received view among linguists was that prescriptivism was a 'bad thing', something only worth considering in order to condemn it as a product of unenlightened thinking. The organisers wished to encourage participants to look at linguistic prescriptivism from a wide range of perspectives. Some of the main questions asked were: To what extent is the concept of prescriptivism to be considered a typical product of the 18th century? What is the attitude of 21st-century scholars and language guardians towards linguistic 'correctness'? To what extent were books more prescriptive -- rather than descriptive -- in what has generally been described as 'the age of correctness'? Some of the answers are to be found in this volume.

English in Modern Times describes the development of the English language from 1700 until 1945, and argues that it is in the course of this later modern English period that the characteristics of "modern" English evolved. This is the first undergraduate text to cover the whole of this important period, which has been called the "Cinderella" of English historical linguistics because of its lack of representation of scholarly literature.
This book is sociohistorical in orientation, arguing that social changes in the Anglophone world need to be taken into account if we are to understand the linguistic changes that occurred during this period. Further chapters deal with changes in vocabulary, syntax and morphology and phonology and with the attempts of lexicographers, grammarians and elocutionists to arrest and control these changes by codifying the language. Unlike many earlier histories of English, English in Modern Times does not define "English" as confined to Standard (English) English, but also considers the development of extraterritorial Englishes and non-standard varieties of British English in the Later Modern period.

Are the dialects of England disappearing in the wake of globalisation and 'Estuary English', or are geographical differences as strong as ever? Joan Beal looks at recent research into regional variation in England, discusses the evidence for 'dialect levelling' and argues that, despite this, features of dialect are still clear markers of regional and local identity. Chapters outlining the main regional differences in accent, dialect grammar and dialect vocabulary are followed by discussions of research into geographical diffusion, levelling, issues of identity and stereotypes. Each chapter is accompanied by either an exercise based on data provided, a data-gathering exercise using methodological tools provided, or an extract from a media article provided to provoke discussion. The book also includes a guide to resources available for the study of regional dialects in England. Features: * An up-to-date account of research into regional variation in England * A practical, 'hands on' approach, providing the reader with the methods and resources to carry out research projects * Includes exercises for use in class.

Northern English has been the object of much attention linguistically over the last thirty years but scholars have had a tendency to focus on the phonology of the dialects and varieties encountered. The purpose of the present volume is to complement and enrich the existing studies by providing readers with a kaleidoscopic perspective, allowing for a holistic interpretation and understanding of Northern English. It includes studies not only on phonology but also on semantics, syntax and sociolinguistics from a synchronic and diachronic point of view, with a special emphasis on the process of enregisterment. The varieties covered include Scottish Standard English, Shetland and Northern Ireland as well as varieties from the North of England.