Walt Wolfram & Natalie Schilling-Estes, American
English: Dialects and variation. (Language in Society, 25). 2nd ed.
Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. Pp. xv, 452. Pb $36.95.
American English, an introductory textbook about dialect
variation, is a revised version of the textbook that first appeared in
1998 and represents another addition to the array of educational materials
about American dialects that the first author has been producing for over
three decades. It is a versatile textbook with an intended audience of any
student who takes a “course on dialects” (p. x). Its lack of
linguistic formalism and statistics makes it accessible to students with
no linguistics background, and its continued emphasis on the relevance of
dialect awareness to American society will help non-linguists apply the
material effectively. Owing to its wide scope, it cannot delve too deeply
into any of the theoretical issues; however, its succinct overviews of the
debates, annotated bibliographies at the end of each chapter, and copious
examples from a range of dialects make it a useful reference for
experienced linguists.