Dialects of English Series Editors: Joan C. Beal, Karen P. Corrigan and April McMahon Books in this series provide concise, up-to-date documentation for varieties of English from around the world. Written by experts who have conducted first-hand research, the volumes provide a starting point for anyone wanting to know more about a particular dialect. Each volume follows a common structure, covering the background, phonetics and phonology, morphosyntax, lexis and history of a variety of English, and concludes with an annotated bibliography and some sample texts. West Midlands English: Birmingham and the Black Country This volume focuses on the closely allied yet differing linguistic varieties of Birmingham and its immediate neighbour to the west, the Black Country. Both of these areas rose to economic prominence and success during the Industrial Revolution, and both have suffered economically and socially as a result of post-war industrial decline. The industrial heritage of both areas has meant that tight-knit socially homogeneous individual areas in each region have demonstrated remarkably little linguistic change over time, especially in morphological constructions. West Midlands English provides a clear description of the structure of the linguistic varieties spoken in the two areas. It provides: - A comprehensive overview of the phonological, grammatical and lexical structure of both varieties, as well as similarities between the two varieties and distinguishing features. - Thorough discussion of the historical and social factors behind the development of the varieties and the stigma attached to these varieties. - Discussion of the unusual situation of the Black Country as an area undefined in geographical and administrative terms. - Examples of the variety from native speakers of differing ethnicities, ages and genders. Urszula Clark is Reader in English and Director of The West Midlands English: Speech and Society project at Aston University. Esther Asprey is an Honorary Research Fellow at Aston University.