Alphabet to Email
How Written English Evolved and Where It's Heading
Published on 1. June 2002
336 pages
978-1-134-66308-8 (ISBN)
Description
In Alphabet to Email Naomi Baron takes us on a fascinating and often entertaining journey through the history of the English language, showing how technology - especially email - is gradually stripping language of its formality.
Drawing together strands of thinking about writing, speech, pedagogy, technology, and globalization, Naomi Baron explores the ever-changing relationship between speech and writing and considers the implications of current language trends on the future of written English.
Alphabet to Email will appeal to anyone who is curious about how the English language has changed over the centuries and where it might be going.
Drawing together strands of thinking about writing, speech, pedagogy, technology, and globalization, Naomi Baron explores the ever-changing relationship between speech and writing and considers the implications of current language trends on the future of written English.
Alphabet to Email will appeal to anyone who is curious about how the English language has changed over the centuries and where it might be going.
Reviews / Votes
'At one level, Alphabet to Email is a fascinating chronological history of written English; at another, it is a carefully argued case for preserving the distinctions between oral and written language.' - Ilana Snyder, Journal of Sociolinguistics'Thorough, yet not in the least pedantic, Baron's book examines the cultural, political, religious and technological influences on written language as compared with spoken language.' - - Publishers' Weekly
'Naomi Baron as succeeded in writing a fascinating yet erudite, and quite compact, history that draws together threads from a bewildering variety of sources.' - Pam Le Gassick, Society of Indexers 'Naomi Baron has succeeded in writing a fascinating yet erudite, and quite compact, history that draws together threads from a bewildering variety of sources.' - Pam Le Gassick, Society of Indexers
'At one level, Alphabet to Email is a fascinating chronological history of written English; at another, it is a carefully argued case for preserving the distinctions between oral and written language.' - Ilana Snyder, Journal of Sociolinguistics
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
File size
3,40 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-134-66308-8 (9781134663088)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2001
1st Edition
Routledge
€70.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Book
01/2000
1st Edition
Routledge
€215.41
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Naomi S. Baron is Professor of Linguistics and Chair of the Department of Language and Foreign Studies at American University. She is the author of five previous books about language, including Growing Up With Language: How children learn to talk (Addison-Wesley, 1992).
Content
Preface 1.Robin Hood's Retort 2.Legitimating Written English 3.Who Writes, Who Reads, and Why 4.Setting Standards 5.The Rise of English Comp 6.Commas and Canaries 7.What Remington Thought 8.Language at a Distance 9.Why the Jury's Still Out on Email 10.Epilogue: Destiny or Choice Notes Bibliography Index
