Speaking Up

Fascinating and hugely informative, Allyson Jule will make you realise just how powerful language is in creating the gender norms that many of us are trying to battle against. This is a brilliant way to understand how language has shaped women's experience in a patriarchal world. Timely, rigorous, and so important, Jule's research gives substance and weight to the current feminist conversation.

* Marisa Bate, contributing editor at The Pool and author of The Periodic Table of Feminism *

A highly accessible beginner's guide for the era of #MeToo and LGBTQ+, but also of neoliberalism and Trump. It will be a welcome addition to the field of gender and language.

* Mary Talbot, author of Language and Gender *

I can't wait to read it!

* Sofie Hagen, stand-up comedian and podcaster *

Speaking Up is so much more than a book about the linguistic habits of men and women. It is a journey through feminist history, a retrospective of the successes and failures of the research that has shaped the study of language and gender, and a close look at the underlying social forces that influence our language patterns daily in personal relationships, the workplace, and beyond.

A rich, insightful journey through the hidden dynamics behind language in action.

* Ada Brunstein, writer and editor *

This book should be included on reading lists for anyone interested in gender, language, and classroom or workspace dynamics. The first two chapters contain accessible language to introduce gender studies, feminism, and gender and language connectivity. The second section clearly deals with various gendered spheres familiar to all, encouraging readers to consider their own relationship with language. The glossary is a reader-friendly bonus, either offering support to those with a limited background in the field or serving as a refresher on the terminology to others.

-- Tanja McCandie, Nanzan University, Japan * JALT Journal, 42.1 *

In its own words Speaking Up was written to be an "accessible introduction to academic research in this dynamic field", and I think Jule absolutely achieves this. The book assumes no prior knowledge of language and gender studies and is unintimidating, accessible and gives a good introduction to language and gender, while applying our understanding to current world challenges.

-- Jill Crawley, Lancaster University, UK * BAAL News, Issue 116, Winter 2020 *

Speaking Up is more than an introduction to theoretical research about language and gender: it is a call to action and transformation of social realities through self-reflection about our own practices.

-- Fernanda Lazaro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Language in Society 48 (2019) *

I anticipate recommending this book to the many secondary-level students who ask me for advice on resources for their language-and-gender projects. It is clearly aimed at a general rather than a specialist audience, but it will also be valuable to those enrolled in various introductory third-level courses. Even experienced scholars will find useful the crystal-clear definitions and discussion of basic concepts, as well as the succinct and well-selected glossary items.

-- Janet Holmes, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand * Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2019 *

Reading [this book], we feel that [the author] has studied everything that has ever been said on gendered linguistics; she references Foucault and the Kardashians with equal rigour.

-- Florence Holmes * The Bookbag *

Speaking Up has spoken, and we should listen. What is at stake is nothing less than our humanity.

-- Susan J. Behrens, Marymount Manhattan College, USA * Women & Language, Volume 42, Issue 1 Spring 20