Linguistic Varieties in North America

Documents linguistic features with a clear focus on clinical and practical implications in the diagnosis of speech disorders.

This volume offers speech and language practitioners an accessible entry into the complex linguistic landscape of North America in order to improve the identification of speech disorders in children from diverse language communities.

Written by practitioners and members of these communities, the chapters explore well-known but understudied linguistic varieties of English, Indigenous languages in North America and emerging language varieties. Each chapter describes the culture and context of the language variety and the unique features of its phonology and developmental progression, before detailing the clinical implications for both research and practice.

The book promotes culturally responsive practices and highlights how understanding these linguistic varieties can enhance the accuracy of identification, diagnosis and treatment for children with speech and language disorders. This introduction to the linguistic diversity of North America is key reading for researchers, students and practitioners in speech and language sciences.