Speaking Our Language

"Speaking Our Language tells for the first time the story of Australian English - where it came from, the forces that moulded it, why it takes its present form, and where it is going." "The story begins with Joseph Banks and Captain James Cook in 1770, and it continues to the present day, when Australian English is firmly established as the natural and national language of Australia. It explains how and when the Australian accent developed, and how and when a distinctive vocabulary was created." "It is a 'story' in another sense as well: the story of the development of Australian English is inextricably intertwined with the stories of Australian history and culture, and of the development of Australian identity."--Jacket.