This book looks at native speaker varieties of English, considering how and why they differ in terms of their pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and spelling. It shows how the major national varieties of English have developed, why similar causes have given rise to different effects in different parts of the world, and how the same problems of description arise in relation to all 'colonial' Englishes. It covers varieties of English spoken in Britain, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. * Introductory text, presupposes a minimum of previous knowledge * Focuses on common traits rather than on individual varieties * Informed by latest research on dialect mixing * Exercises included with each chapter * References for further reading in each chapter