Linguists usually discuss language or dialects in terms of groups of speakers. Believing that patterns can be seen more clearly in the group than the individual, researchers often present group scores with no indication of the variation within the group. Even though they all acknowledge that no two individuals speak alike, few study individual variation and voice. The individual has always been thought to be outside the purview of linguistic theory. Johnstone makes the case for the importance of the role of the individual, and the individual's idiosyncrasies, in language and linguistics. Using theoretical arguments and discourse analysis, along with linguistic examples from a wide variety of speakers and settings, Johnstone illustrates how speakers draw on linguistic models associated with class, ethnicity, gender, region, among others, to construct individual ways of sounding. In doing so,she shows that certain important questions in sociolinguistics and pragmatics can only be fully answered with reference to individual speakers. Her study is important not only for the understanding of speech as expressive of self,but for the study of of variation and the mechanisms of linguistic choice and change.

The Linguistic Individual: Self-Expression in Language and Linguistics (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

Politics & Social Sciences

Johnstone, Barbara

Philosophy

Oxford University Press

Linguists usually discuss language or dialects in terms of groups of speakers. Believing that patterns can be seen more clearly in the group than the individual, researchers often present group scores with no indication of the variation within the group. Even though linguists acknowledge that no two individuals speak alike, few study individual variation and voice. Barbara Johnstone makes a case for the individual's importance and idiosyncrasies in language and linguistics. Using theoretical arguments and discourse analysis, along with linguistic examples from a variety of speakers and settings, Johnstone illustrates how speakers draw on linguistic models associated with class, ethnicity, gender, and region, among others, to construct an individual voice. In doing so Johnstone shows that certain important questions in sociolinguistics and pragmatics can only be answered with reference to individual speakers. Johnstone's study is important both for the understanding of speech as expressive of self, and for the study of variation and mechanisms of linguistic choice and change.

Social Sciences

Qualitative Methods in Sociolinguistics is the only book on qualitative research methods designed especially for readers doing research on language and society. It provides a brief, accessible introduction to general theoretical and practical questions about research and also covers the principal means of selecting, collecting, and analyzing data for interpretive sociolinguistic work. Topics discussed include the historical context of contemporary sociolinguistic methodology, the development of research questions, standards of evidence, research ethics, ethnography, discourse analysis, and strategies for writing articles and essays. In each chapter the author considers both field methods and analytical methods, illustrating the approaches by describing studies that have employed them. Exercises, ideas for discussion, and suggestions for further reading enhance the text and provide starting points for student research projects. Clearly written and comprehensible to students at all levels, this unique work is an ideal supplementary text for courses in sociolinguistics, language and culture, and field methods. It is also a helpful reference for anyone contemplating sociolinguistic research on any level.

Qualitative Methods in Sociolinguistics

Speaking Pittsburghese: The Story of a Dialect (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

This book explores the history of Pittsburghese, the language of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as it is imagined and used by Pittsburghers. Pittburghese is linked to local identity so strongly that it is alluded to almost every time people talk about what Pittsburgh is like, or what it means to be a Pittsburgher. But what happened during the second half of the 20th century to reshape a largely unnoticed way of speaking into this highly visible urban "dialect"? In this book, sociolinguist Barbara Johnstone focuses on this question. Treating Pittsburghese as a cultural product of talk, writing, and other forms of social practice, Johnstone shows how non-standard pronunciations, words, and bits of grammar used in the Pittsburgh area were taken up into a repertoire of words and phrases and a vocal style that has become one of the most resonant symbols of local identity in the United States today.

Anthropology

This book explores the history of Pittsburghese, the language of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as it is imagined and used by Pittsburghers. Pittburghese is linked to local identity so strongly that it is alluded to almost every time people talk about what Pittsburgh is like, or what it means to be a Pittsburgher. But what happened during the second half of the 20th century to reshape a largely unnoticed way of speaking into this highly visible urban "dialect"? In this book, sociolinguist Barbara Johnstone focuses on this question. Treating Pittsburghese as a cultural product of talk, writing, and other forms of social practice, Johnstone shows how non-standard pronunciations, words, and bits of grammar used in the Pittsburgh area were taken up into a repertoire of words and phrases and a vocal style that has become one of the most resonant symbols of local identity in the United States today.

This is a linguistic ethnography looking at the construction of a sense of community and place through the narratives that come up in interviews and everyday conversations.

Stories, Community, and Place: Narratives from Middle America

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Indiana University Press

Discourse Analysis is an ideal textbook for students taking a first course in linguistic approaches to discourse.

Discourse Analysis (Introducing Linguistics)

Reference

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Wiley/Blackwell

Discourse Analysis is an ideal textbook for students taking a first course in linguistic approaches to discourse.

Repetition in Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 1 (Advances in Discourse Processes)

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Psychology & Counseling

Praeger

Repetition in Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 2 (Advances in Discourse Processes)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Johnstone, Barbara. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Johnstone, Barbara

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Johnstone, Barbara. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Linguistic Individual: Self-Expression in Language and Linguistics (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

The Linguistic Individual: Self-Expression in Language and Linguistics (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

Qualitative Methods in Sociolinguistics

Speaking Pittsburghese: The Story of a Dialect (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

Speaking Pittsburghese: The Story of a Dialect (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics)

Stories, Community, and Place: Narratives from Middle America

Discourse Analysis (Introducing Linguistics)

Discourse Analysis (Introducing Linguistics)

Repetition in Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 1 (Advances in Discourse Processes)

Repetition in Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 2 (Advances in Discourse Processes)