'Once upon a time' is the English translation of the title of this collection of twenty-eight Pidgin tales from Cameroon in West Africa, first published in 1979. These are richly illustrative of the various folklore genres of the region and are presented in a modified standard orthography, with an English translation facing the original Pidgin text. Notes are provided on each tale with the intention of illuminating some of their unique stylistic and linguistic patterns. The tales are often...

The focus of this study is upon those pidgins and creoles which are English based and which have arisen since the fifteenth century. The book examines the widespread nature of the pidgin/creole phenomenon and evaluates the current definitions of the terms and the theories which have been advanced to account for their existence. The author considers the potential of pidgins and creoles as literary media and as vehicles for education. She looks at the sociological and psychological implicati...

First Published in 1992. This is an exploration of the complex kinds of variation which occur in and between written and spoken English. Dialect, Pidgeon and Creole English are examined and the types of lingustics employed in advertising, literature and the classroom are discussed. The book is intended as an introduction to the study of English language. It is aimed primarily at college and university students, particularly thosed who are likely to find themselves teaching a language. It m...

First published in 1986. This comprehensive guide to written and spoken English offers details of usage in all countries where English used. The writer's, speaker's and reader's handy companion; the student's source. A book for browsing, for rules and for reference.