"A splendidly informative, yet lucid and easy-to-consult work. It contains all one might expect - such as clear chapters on vocabulary and accent - but also much much more: the sections on American culture, metaphor, greetings, swearwords, and websites are super-useful."
Jean Aitchison, Worcester College, University of Oxford "I have many excellent European students whose English grammar is ... Read morefirst-class but who have no idea what a sophomore is. This book is a wonderful introduction to the interface between American English and American society which attends not only to linguistic detail but also to the way in which the culture of Americans is reflected in their language."
Peter Trudgill, Fribourg University "This textbook is thus highly recommended to students of English with basic reading knowledge and teachers of English (prospective teachers, too) as a second or foreign language virtually anywhere in the world. Native speakers of American English will also find this book interesting." (Journal of Sociolinguistics) "Overall, this book not only provides a clear overview of the distinguishing characteristics of American English but also the historical and cultural background to explain those characteristics." (Studies in Second Language Acquisition) Show Less