Full Description
Linguistics for Non-Linguists is a highly readable introductory text that presents students with the basic elements of linguistics in a clear and concise style that any beginner will understand. This newly revised edition continues to expand on the success of earlier editions, taking a subject that is generally considered quite complicated and making it accessible to virtually anyone who requires a basic understanding of linguistics. The authors illustrate major concepts in an easy-to-read style, giving students and specialists in language-related fields an introduction to the essential principles and methods of linguistic theory. Non-linguistics majors will also find this book user-friendly, with a wealth of exercises and references interspersed throughout to help reinforce concepts.
Specialists in language-related fields, including Speech-Language Pathology, Experimental Phonetics, Communication, Education, Psychology, and English as a Second Language, will find this text a must-have reference for all courses.
Contents
NOTE: Each chapter concludes with Summary, Supplementary Readings, Supplementary Exercises, and Exploratory Exercises. 1. Introduction
2. Pragmatics
Implicature
Conversational Maxims
Speech Acts
A Taxonomy of Illocutionary Acts
Felicity Conditions
Explicit Versus Nonexplicit Illocutionary Acts
Direct Versus Indirect Illocutionary Acts
Expressed Versus Implied Locutionary Acts
Literal Versus Nonliteral Locutionary Acts
Overview of Speech Act Theory
3. Semantics
Background
Sense
Reference
Truth
4. Syntax
Categories
Left-to-Right Ordering
Constituent Structure
X-Bar Syntax
Transformations
Movement
Constraints on Movement
5. Morphology
Morphemes
Lexical and Grammatical Morphemes
Free and Bound Morphemes
Inflectional and Derivational Morphemes
Inflectional Affixes
Derivational Affixes
Differences Between Types of Affixes
Word-Formation Processes
6. Phonology
Vocal Tract
Segments
Phonemic Alphabet
Vowels
Consonants
Levels of Representation
Phonological Rules
Aspiration
Vowel Lengthening
Vowel Nasalization
Flapping
Rule Ordering
7. Language Processing
Sentence-Level Phenomena in Language Processing
Resolving Syntactic Ambiguity
Resolving Ambiguous Pronoun Reference
Understanding Negative Sentences
Processing Passive Sentences
Processing Complex Sentences
Processing Heavy NPs
Discourse-Level Phenomena in Language Processing
Readability
Schemata and Scripts
Cohesion
Thematic Roles
The Given-New Contract
Reading Between the Lines
8. Language Variation
Language Universals, Languages, Dialects, and Idiolects
Regional Variation
Regional Lexical Variation
Regional Phonological Variation
Social Variation
Nonstandard Phonological Variation
Nonstandard Morphological Variation
Nonstandard Syntactic Variation
Language and Gender
Gender as a Social Variable
Gender Patterns Within Standard English
Stylistic Variation
Stylistic Lexical Variation
Stylistic Phonological Variation
Stylistic Morphological Variation
Stylistic Syntactic Variation
9. Language Change
Background
Semantic Change
Syntactic Change
Word Order Typology
Rule Change
Morphological Change
Phonological Change
Causes of Change
10. First-Language Acquisition
Prelinguistic Stages
Linguistic Stages
Acquisition of Phonology
Acquisition of Morphology
Acquisition of Syntax
Acquisition of Semantics
Issues in Language Acquisition
Nativism and Empiricism
Language-Specific and General Cognitive Capacities
Chomsky's Position
11. Second-Language Acquisition
Issues in Second-Language Acquisition
Interlanguage Theory
Language Transfer
Other Linguistic Factors
Patterns in Second-Language Acquisition
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Semantics
Nonlinguistic Influences on Second-Language Acquisition
12. Written Language
Writing Systems
The English Spelling System
Reasons for Inconsistency in English Spelling
English Spelling and Morphophonemics
Analyzing Errors in Written English
Phonology and Spelling
Morphology and Writing
13. The Neurology of Language
Anatomy of the Nervous System
Lobes
Convolutions and Fissures
Broca's Area
Wernicke's Area
Supplementary Motor Cortex
Hemispherical Specialization
Left-Hemisphere Dominance for Language
Left Brain Versus Right Brain
Handedness
Aphasia
References Glossary Answers to Selected Exercises Author Index Subject Index
