The Handbook will be by far the most thorough reference work on phonology and the first-ever comprehensive overview of the morphology and syntax of varieties of English in the world. It will be published as a two volume book accompanied by an interactive CD-ROM. The genuine speech samples and interactive maps of the CD-ROM will not only supplement the printed articles by offering lively illustrations of the varieties of English around the world, but the material offered can also be used for linguistic research.SURVEY ARTICLESThe books feature descriptive survey articles that are authored by widely acclaimed specialists in the field and that * cover all main national standard varieties, distinctive regional, ethnic, and social varieties, major contact varieties, as well as major ESL varieties; * share a common core, which makes them invaluable research tools for cross-linguistic comparisons; * provide information on the historical and cultural backgrounds as well as the current sociolinguistic situations in the respective regions; * serve as state-of-the-art reports on major issues in current research.CD-ROMThe CD-ROM not only supplements the printed volumes through interactive access to the varieties but also provides a comprehensive database with: * a unique collection of speech recordings of English from around the world; * sound samples that open new perspectives on the varieties ofEnglish, as speech recordings also constitute the central aspect of research - students as well as professional academics will feel encouraged to use the material for new investigations; * interactive and synchronized maps that allow either phonological or morphosyntactic (grammatical) comparisons; * extensive bibliographies on the relevant research literature; * links to pertinent websites.NETWORK LICENSEThe network license provides departments of English and Linguistics with the opportunity to make the multimedia tools on the CD-ROM simultaneously available to a wider number of faculty members and students. * instructors can deploy the sound samples and interactive maps to enhance their classroom presentations and to highlight important language features; * researchers are provided with a database of multimedia material for further study; * students can employ the data on the CD-ROM when working on classroom assignments.A NETWORK LICENSE for the CD-ROM for 1-5 concurrent users is available at an additional price of EUR 398.00 / US$ 475.00. Please contact your supplier or Mouton de Gruyter (networklicense@degruyter.com) for further details. Network licenses for more than 5 concurrent users can also be purchased by contacting Mouton de Gruyter. http://www.degruyter.de/rs/bookSingle.cfm?id=IS-3110175320-1&l=E&ad=heFree demo version: http://www.mouton-online.com/varieties.phpOr meet Anke Beck and Ursula Kleinhenz at the Mouton de Gruyter booth at the annual LSA Meeting for a free demonstration.Together, the books and the CD-ROM are an indispensable reference work and research tool for sociolinguists, dialectologists, phonologists, grammarians, typologists, and specialists in contact languages and varieties of English around the world. Given its accessible style and its rich auditory and visual support, this Handbook is also ideally suited not only for professional academics but also for undergraduate and graduate students