African American Female Speech Communities: Varieties of Talk

by Barbara H. Hudson

Overview

In this sociolinguistic study, not only are language and gender researched, but the relationship between language and ethnic group, region, and social class is also discussed. Hudson describes the ways in which some female African American writers use the language of African American female characters to reflect their membership in various speech communities. Materials used for this text include slave narratives, novels, short stories, diaries, plays, and autobiographies. The study bridges the gap between the existing research on that focuses on the Vernacular English spoken mainly by young African American males and the research which mainly focuses on the language used by white middle class females.

Research in the area of African American English has investigated both its form and its use in conversational interactions. Hudson explores how African American English encompasses a range of dialects from Standard to Vernacular English, noting that there is a diversity of language types present in the African American female speech community. This book offers language researchers, social scientists, educators, and others valuable insights into language use by minority females.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897895064
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/30/2001
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	16.00(w) x 23.20(h) x 2.40(d)

About the Author

BARBARA HILL HUDSON is Professor of English at Indiana University of Pennsylvania./e

Table of Contents

Introduction
Phonological Structures
Vernacular Structures—AAVE
Vernacular Structures—NSE
Standard Structures
Adjectives
Adverbs
Address
Word Choice and Word Play
Expressive Behavior
Bad Language
Language Use
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Hudson (English, Indiana U. of Pennsylvania) describes the ways African American female writers portray African American female characters to reflect their membership in various speech communities, and the ways these characters' language use reflects the norms, values and beliefs of their communities. Hudson includes works from various genres from the 1880s to the present. The data analysis is organized into several categories: phonological, vernacular and standard structures; adjectives; adverbs; forms of address; word choice and wordplay; expressive behavior; bad language; and language use. ^ Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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