Dialects in the Classroom

Crystal, David. 2011. A little book of language.

 A fun and approachable book providing key information about how languages and dialects have changed and evolved over time, and where the trajectory of human language use is headed.

McMahon, April. 2012. Understanding Language Change.

 A somewhat more advanced consideration of the mechanisms of linguistic change.

Trask, R.L. 2012. Why do languages change?

 A textbook providing myriad examples of language change in action, explaining how language change can be the source of dialectal differences (e.g. American English vs. British English).

Lanehart, Sonja. 2016. The Oxford Handbook of African American Language.

 A collection of chapters about different aspects of African American Language, considering the expressive power of AAL, but also highlighting variation within the African American community.