Speech Communities

Reviews / Votes

'This is the book we were waiting for. An informed and innovative introduction that makes us appreciate speech communities as sites for socialization, contestation, and creativity. We come away with a much better understanding of the authority of standard languages, the creativity of marginalized speech styles, and the attraction of new forms of digital literacy. A great resource for teaching and thinking critically about the power of language as well as its limitations.' Alessandro Duranti, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles 'Marcyliena Morgan has provided a lucid depiction of speech communities that are global in scope and mindful of the growing technological impact of social media and internet communication. This book will be of significance and interest to scholars in the social sciences, humanities, as well as education and communication studies. The foundations of the book are interdisciplinary and classical, while its conclusions are keenly insightful - if not visionary.' John Baugh, Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts and Sciences, Washington University, St Louis, and Professor Emeritus of Education and Linguistics, Stanford University 'Morgan's book is a knowledgeable and informative introduction to speech communities, their formation, development, and organization, as well as a valuable analysis of the interaction between speech communities and the socio-political structures in which they are immersed.' Marco Tamburelli, Modern Language Review