Writing Language‐based Trade Books: Making Linguistics Accessible to Lay Audiences

Abstract

New publishing models and increased interest in "popular science" books have converged to make it increasingly viable for linguists to write language-based trade books focusing on regional and social speech varieties. In order for such books to reach a broad audience, authors must make writing choices that are quite dissimilar from those made when writing for academic peers. In this article, we examine a number of recent sociolinguistic trade books and consider the effects of the authors' choices on the effectiveness in engaging and conveying technical information to non-academic audiences. From our investigation of issues of audience, prose, images, citations, etc., emerge some guidelines that might help others be more successful in appealing to a popular readership. Though we offer no prescriptions, we hope that our investigation begins a conversation of best practices for engaging the public in linguistic investigations of regional and social speech varieties via trade books. In doing so, we also examine issues related to research ethics and the value in the academy of trade books specifically and linguistic gratuity projects in general.

Talking Black in America

“…Some linguists have sought to make linguistic research more accessible to the general public through informal educational initiatives (Reaser & Myrick, 2015; Wolfram, Reaser & Vaughn, 2008), while others have produced materials for inclusion in established K-12 educational contexts (e.g., Denham, 2007; Charity Hudley & Mallinson, 2011; Reaser et al, 2017). Despite these efforts, there remains the need for additional materials in general – and specifically about AAL – for teachers who wish to integrate sociolinguistic information in general, and TBiA in particular, into their classrooms.…”

Sociolinguistic variation and the public interest

“…Toide on the Outer Banks: The Story of the Ocracoke Brogue remains available to tourists who visit the Outer Banks more than two decades after it was written, and Wolfram et al's (2002) Fine in the World: Lumbee Language in Time and Place is useful for residents of the community, educators, and others curious about the language variety of the Lumbee American Indians, the largest group of American Indians East of the Mississippi River (population circa 55,000). Translating highly specialized technical knowledge about science into accessible descriptions for lay people has proven to be a rhetorical and writing challenge for those attempting to extend their descriptions beyond the academy Myrick, 2015), but we have also found that the incorporation of digital enhancements can reinforce print data and make descriptions come to life for readers. For example, our trade book aimed at residents of and visitors to North Carolina, Talkin' Tar Heel: How our Voices…”

The potential of sociolinguistic impact: Lessons from the first 50 years

“…For example, Author and Schilling-Estes' (1997) Hoi Toide on the Outer Banks: The Story of the Ocracoke Brogue remains available to tourists who visit the Outer Banks more than 25 years after it was written. Translating highly specialised technical knowledge about science into accessible descriptions for lay people has proven to be a rhetorical and writing challenge for those attempting to extend their descriptions beyond the academy (Reaser & Myrick, 2015), but we have also found that the incorporation of digital enhancements can reinforce print data and make descriptions come to life for readers. For example, our trade book aimed at residents of and visitors to North Carolina, Talkin' Tar Heel: How our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina (Author & Reaser, 2014), relies on more than 130 audiovisual enhancements, where readers get to experience the language as they read through text, accessed through numerous Quick Response Codes (QRs), along with more than 60 images of people and places.…”