Trip of the Tongue Cross-Country Travels in Search of America's Languages

by Little, Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9781596916562
• ISBN10: 1596916567
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-01
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary

Though we speak English as a nation, it's no secret that America is far from uniform. Spanish, in particular, has long been touted as the language that will figure into our national future; much has been written about the need to recognize it in our laws and schools.Yet billing America as a bilingual country is a gross misrepresentation. They speak Basque in Nevada, Hindi in San Jose, and Gullah in South Carolina. We speak European, Asian, and Native American languages, as well as hybrids like Creole and Spanglish. And Elizabeth Little's home--Queens, New York--is among the most ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse places on the planet.Small surprise, then, that Little felt a yearning to find the cultural and linguistic soul of the country. And she has done it in the most American way imaginable: on a road trip.This book is the result: a festive roadmap of the bounties of our country. We'll learn about the struggle of the French-speaking population of Maine to get along with the community around them; the traditional ways of the German-speaking Amish in Pennsylvania; and the rich history of the little-known African population of Nantucket. Elizabeth Little is a witty and endearing tourguide for this memorable and original trip.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Little is the author of Biting the Wax Tadpole: Confessions of a Language Fanatic. A Harvard graduate with a degree in Social Studies, she has formal training in Ancient Greek, Classical Chinese, Standard Mandarin, French, and Italian. She is currently a freelance writer and editor and lives in Queens.

Her website is http://www.elizabeth-little.com

Table of Contents

"Little makes for a perfect tour guide. More than a collection of fascinating linguistic details (though it is that), by the end this book deepens into a full-throated defense of everybody’s native tongues, and the right - no, the need - to hang onto them." –The Boston Globe

"Fascinating…Little’s obvious enthusiasm drives the prose and keeps the information fresh and relevant. Arguing that language heritage is about more than the use of definite articles, Little delivers a revealing lesson in history, culture, prejudice, and privilege." -Booklist

"An entertaining and enlightening book from a brainy, foul-mouthed and very funny tour guide." – Kirkus Review

"An enchanting journey across the landscape of American language and culture, including everything from Navajo to Norwegian." – Publishers Weekly