Amglish in, Like, Ten Easy Lessons
A Celebration of the New World Lingo
by Arthur E Rowse
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Pub Date Oct 03 2011 | Archive Date Oct 19 2012
Description
One of the world's leading linguists recently wrote: "We may be
seeing the birth of a new language as yet without a name." He was
referencing the new informal mixture of English and other languages
being freely formed around the world, with little effort to conform to
prescribed rules of grammar, syntax, or spelling.
Amglish in, Like, Ten Easy Lessons: A Celebration of the New World Lingo,
by Arthur Rowse with illustrations by John Doherty, offers both a name
for this new language and an enjoyable guide on how one can learn to use
the language through ten easy "lessons." The authors describe how
Amglish, or American English influenced by online grammar and syntax,
has begun to dominate our global language.
Featuring an ironic manual on how to use this developing language, Amglish
is a light and highly entertaining addition to the recent literature on
grammar and punctuation. Illustrated with original drawings throughout,
the book shows readers how to improve their Amglish and have fun doing
so.
Table of Contents
Made in the USATeachers and Other Pioneers
The New World Lingo
From Revolution to Tsunami The Lishes of Amglish Ten Easy Lessons
About the Author
Arthur E. Rowse is a retired journalist, formerly with The Washington Post, USNews, and other papers. He is the author, most recently, of Drive-By Journalism: The Assault on Your Need to Know.
The National Press Club runs an annual award program in his name for
excellence in criticism of the news media. He has been an award-winning
free-lance writer since retirement and has spent five years researching
language.
John Doherty is a professional
caricaturist living in the Boston area. He has drawn senators and other
public figures over his thirty-year career, and his work can be found in
print and in advertisements.
Advance Praise
"In this hysterically funny and well-researched book, Rowse (Drive-By Journalism) tracks the evolution of American English influenced by online grammar and syntax, which he calls "Amglish." Drawing from numerous sources, Rowse challenges critics who cling to traditional ways of teaching, writing, and speaking English, especially given the influence of "texting" language, Internet vernacular, and the aggressive global reach of the language itself. The rules of formal grammar have gone out the window and new words--typically portmanteaus and neologisms, like Sarah Palin's much-blogged "refudiate"--appear every day. Rowse suggests that there's nothing we can (or should) do to change this new English, and positions himself as an observer who savors the opportunities provided by American English on its rise to global dominance. He pokes gentle fun at figures notorious for their poor use of the language and gleefully explores different mash-up languages (Singlish, Spanglish) that have been spawned from American influence. Readers curious about linguistic evolution, or even those who just want a light-hearted look at modern slang, would do well to pick up this book." Publishers Weekly
"Living languages exist in a state of
flux, improvising in jazzy fashion, lending and borrowing from others while
reshuffling syntactical rules. And no language is more dynamic, less cautious
than American English, which explains why everyone the world over wants a part
of it. Let's give Arthur Rowse a thank you for his smorgasbord of anecdotes,
reflections, and insight. It allows us to appreciate the beautiful linguistic
anarchy that is our daily parlance."—Ilan Stavans, author, Spanglish:
The Making of a New American Language and Dictionary Days
"Amglish is not only here to stay, it's a kind of party, and Arthur E.
Rowse shows us how to join in and have fun. Lively, illuminating and totally
cool-smart."—William Powers, author, Hamlet's BlackBerry
"A glorious romp through the global fields of modern informal English.
Arthur Rowse's joyful exploration of the growth in world Amglish is daring,
illuminating, playful, and challenging. Whether we love this still-evolving
lingo or hate it, we can't possibly ignore it. The task, he concludes in his
final lesson, is how best to manage it."—David Crystal, renowned
linguist and author, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language
"What an exciting resource for celebrating the multiple avataras of world Englishes in a variety of contexts! Rowse deserves the readers’ applause." —Braj Kachru, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781442211674 |
| PRICE | 16.95 |
| PAGES | 236 |
