Studies in the Pronunciation of English

Book excerpt: First published in 1990, this collection celebrates the life and work of Professor A. C. Gimson, four years after his untimely death in 1985. A. C. Gimson, Professor of Phonetics at University College London, 1966-83, was the most distinguished and influential phonetician of his day concentrating specifically on English speech. This collection of essays on phonetics and phonology of English- written by linguists from all over the world – celebrates his life and work. The work is divided into five sections: prosody; phonology and phonetic description; accents of English and RP; other accents of English (focusing on those non-native speakers); and phonostylistics. The twenty-eight chapters cover a very wide range of topics and the contributors offer a stimulating variety of approaches, with the emphasis on data-based objectivity. Balancing description and theory with application, this volume provides a serious and coherent contribution to the academic study of English pronunciation.