Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York: Bellevue Literary Press, 2017
Pages
173
Description
"It has now been almost fifty years since linguistic experts began studying Black English as a legitimate speech variety, arguing to the public that it is different from Standard English, not a degradation of it. Yet false assumptions and controversies still swirl around what it means to speak and sound "black." In his first book devoted solely to the form, structure, and development of Black English, John McWhorter clearly explains its fundamentals and rich history, while carefully examining the cultural, educational, and political issues that have undermined recognition of this transformative, empowering dialect. Talking Back, Talking Black takes us on a fascinating tour of a nuanced and complex language that has moved beyond America's borders to become a dynamic force for today's youth culture around the world"--Publisher's description.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
173 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
9781942658207
Similar in this library
Library's review
As a Black linguist, John McWhorter is ideally suited to write a book about "Black English", as he refers to what is more technically known as "African-American Vernacular English". In this slim volume, McWhorter manages to cover common misconceptions about this dialect (such as the common and
As a white American with an interest in linguistics, the most interesting part for me were the details of the distinctive grammatical features of Black English, detailing specific usages like the "habitual be" and dropping of the possessive marker ('s). I didn't need the patient explanation that Black English is in fact a valid dialect - I doubt anyone who reads a book like this would, so I suspect people who view it as a collection of mistakes will not be reached to be convinced otherwise - but I'm glad it was there.
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entirely wrong belief that it is not a dialect at all, but instead a collection of slang and mistakes) as well as the history of the dialect and the general concept of code-switching, where speakers of multiple versions of a language seamlessly switch among them depending on context - Black English among family or friends, perhaps, and Standard English at work. He also discusses tangentially related concepts such as what it means for someone to "sound Black" in a context without grammatical or vocabulary indications. As a white American with an interest in linguistics, the most interesting part for me were the details of the distinctive grammatical features of Black English, detailing specific usages like the "habitual be" and dropping of the possessive marker ('s). I didn't need the patient explanation that Black English is in fact a valid dialect - I doubt anyone who reads a book like this would, so I suspect people who view it as a collection of mistakes will not be reached to be convinced otherwise - but I'm glad it was there.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
Linguist John McWhorter (who, it is probably relevant to note here, is black) takes a look at the dialect of American English characteristically used by black people, which he likes to refer to as "Black English," but which is also called African-American Vernacular English or, although the term
I can't testify personally to the effectiveness of his arguments, because in my case, he's definitely preaching to the converted; I've read enough books by linguists to have come to think like one on subjects like this. But his points seem to me to be very, very good, and very much in touch with how most people do think about language, so I'd say if he doesn't manage to convince people, probably nothing is going to. Mind you, I'm not sure how many Americans whose attitude towards characteristically black speech is "They need to learn to speak properly!" (or, for that matter, concern that even acknowledging that there is such a thing may be racist, something McWhorter also addresses) will read this. But they totally should. Because McWhorter does a good, thoughtful job of threading his way through the emotionally charged minefield of American race relations to expose the value-neutral linguistic reality beneath.
And, along the way, he explains lots of things that my language nerd side found absolutely fascinating, from some of the details of how Black English grammar works (and, yes, it does have its own consistent grammar), to how the dialect evolved and the ways in which that is similar to how modern English evolved from Old English, to examples from around the world of how people comfortably and easily use different dialects in different social situations, something that seems as if it must be difficult to most white Americans only because it's so far outside our own experience.
Definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in this subject, whether linguistic, political, or personal.
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has fallen out of fashion these days, Ebonics. His main aim is to convince the general public that this is, in fact, a dialect of English in its own right, not merely "broken," "bad" or "slangy" English, as many people, both black and white, assume it to be, and that there is nothing wrong with using it. He recognizes that the things that convince linguists of this don't necessarily convince ordinary people, because linguists have very different ideas about language and what it is or should be than the public at large does, so much so that they often can't even remember what it was like to think differently on the subject. I can't testify personally to the effectiveness of his arguments, because in my case, he's definitely preaching to the converted; I've read enough books by linguists to have come to think like one on subjects like this. But his points seem to me to be very, very good, and very much in touch with how most people do think about language, so I'd say if he doesn't manage to convince people, probably nothing is going to. Mind you, I'm not sure how many Americans whose attitude towards characteristically black speech is "They need to learn to speak properly!" (or, for that matter, concern that even acknowledging that there is such a thing may be racist, something McWhorter also addresses) will read this. But they totally should. Because McWhorter does a good, thoughtful job of threading his way through the emotionally charged minefield of American race relations to expose the value-neutral linguistic reality beneath.
And, along the way, he explains lots of things that my language nerd side found absolutely fascinating, from some of the details of how Black English grammar works (and, yes, it does have its own consistent grammar), to how the dialect evolved and the ways in which that is similar to how modern English evolved from Old English, to examples from around the world of how people comfortably and easily use different dialects in different social situations, something that seems as if it must be difficult to most white Americans only because it's so far outside our own experience.
Definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in this subject, whether linguistic, political, or personal.
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LibraryThing member VictoriaBrodersen
If you don't recall the difference between pronouns and adjectives from middle school you may find this short, intriguing book to be lacking in basic background knowledge. It does assume a certain level of familiarity with the structure of the English langauge and attempts to build upon that toward
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a great point - one which is well taken. While the over all message is clear and argued for well the structure does read like a PhD discertation that was expanded upon in order to add the necessary bulk to comprise a proper book. So, if you enjoy semi-academic reading this will have you rapped with delightful insights and inquisitive wonder but it is not one that everyone in your world will be up for taking on. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweyenberg
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
I'm very interested in linguistics, so I was quite excited to get started on this book. And it didn't disappoint me at all. It offered a lot of insight into what he often calls
So why three stars? First, I felt that many times the author was speaking to readers in a condescending manner. As someone who already understands these concepts on a base level, I felt like he addressed us as a group of readers who could never understand fully what he was trying to say. This seemed unfair. I also feel that it might not have been highly accessible to readers who don't already have a grasp on linguistics to begin with. Those two things aside, I thought it was decent. Short enough that I didn't feel a need to quit early which can be a threat with specialized topics like this.
I'm very interested in linguistics, so I was quite excited to get started on this book. And it didn't disappoint me at all. It offered a lot of insight into what he often calls
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Black English. I have always marveled at the flexibility of language and how it evolves and changes. Simultaneously, I've been frustrated by the people around me who seem to view these changes strictly as bastardizations of the language. Every language has these variances, dialects, etc, yet in American many people seem to discount them. This book helps to explain.So why three stars? First, I felt that many times the author was speaking to readers in a condescending manner. As someone who already understands these concepts on a base level, I felt like he addressed us as a group of readers who could never understand fully what he was trying to say. This seemed unfair. I also feel that it might not have been highly accessible to readers who don't already have a grasp on linguistics to begin with. Those two things aside, I thought it was decent. Short enough that I didn't feel a need to quit early which can be a threat with specialized topics like this.
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LibraryThing member amyblue
Another fantastic foray into linguistics by John McWhorter! His style is amusing yet very informative and easy to understand.
LibraryThing member Watry
This was really interesting! I have a background in anthropology, though, including anthropological linguistics, so I'm not sure how someone without that would fare. I also wish he'd devoted a little more time talking about the culture-language interaction, but he's not a linguistic anthropologist
I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
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so I'm not being fair. McWhorter also includes some discussion on making Black English more acceptable to the wider (and yes, mostly white) culture, which I really appreciated. This same section is also helpful for other dialects; I've successfully defended myself when I slipped into southern dialects more than once now by pointing out the linguistic usefulness.I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member susanbooks
John McWhorter's argues that "Black English" is a subsidiary language with its own grammar and history, like Haitian Creole or Sicilian. Rather then a chaotic mass of mistakes made by the uneducated, it's highly structured with consistent usage and rules. As a college writing teacher, this was a
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good reminder that some of my students, even if they were born in this country, could be speaking and writing an unfamiliar dialect in my class. As a general reader, however, this was a bit frustrating. McWhorter constantly refers to studies that support his claims but never describes them in detail or cites them in notes. In fact there are no notes. If we want to know more we're on our own. So McWhorter never gets into his topic in any real depth, he just skims on the surface, repeats himself, mentions studies he doesn't cite multiple times. This is a 5 star idea with 3 star execution. Show Less
LibraryThing member steve02476
Short book about Black English, its complex rules, its history, how it varies from standard English, and why it's just as "good" as standard English. Nearly all speakers of Black English know it isn't best for formal situations and are perfectly capable of switching to Standard English when
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required. Also an interesting section about why the vocal timbre of white Americans tends to be different than African Americans, such that most of us can easily identify "race" over the phone even if there is no difference in the words used. Good comparisons to other dialects of languages, such as Sicilian (Italian). A bit repetitive given that it's such a short book anyway. Show Less