Using a language-centered perspective about culture, this book aims to provide culture-based interpretations for language-in-use and for broader discourse issues. The first three chapters present an overview of language and culture in the United States and introduce the concepts and vocabulary for understanding language and cultural complexity. The second section consists of specific applications of the Language-Centered Perspective on Culture. The third section explores applied aspects of cultural linguistics. The chapters are: (1) "The Linguistic Environment of the United States"; (2) "The Language System in Its Communicative Contexts"; (3) "Cultural Dimensions of Discourse"; (4) "Gendered Discourses"; (5) "African American Discourse in Cultural and Historical Context"; (6)"Hispanic Peoples and Their Language Patterns"; (7) "Language and Cultural Complexity in Asian American Identities"; (8) "Discourse Consequences: Where Language and Culture Matter"; and (9) "Bilingual Education, Ebonics, and the Ideology of 'Standard English'." (Contains 10 figures, 28 tables, and 366 references.) (SLD)