Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer with Exercises

Linguistics for Non-Linguists, Fifth Edition, makes linguistics accessible to beginners by providing a clear understanding of both the basic and more complex aspects of the challenging subject.

 

This newly revised edition continues to be a readable and user-friendly introductory text that presents the basic elements of linguistics clearly and concisely. Beginning with recognizable topics and gradually moving readers into unfamiliar, technical territory, this text makes the subject matter approachable and understandable for all readers. Including summaries of complex topics, supplementary readings, and hundreds of supplementary and exploratory exercises throughout the text that reinforce the material covered, Linguistics for Non-Linguists offers students a complete understanding of the basics of this critical field.

  Specialists in language-related fields including Speech-Language Pathology, Experimental Phonetics, Communication, Education, Psychology, and English as a Second Language, will find this text an essential resource and reference.

 

The New, Fifth Edition Includes:

 

• An entirely new chapter on Language Change
• New exercises ranging from short-answer problems to exploratory exercises that allow students to check their progress and to continue to research critical topics.
• Updated “Supplementary Readings” sections that keep the material up-to-date and provide opportunities to expand on chapter material.

List of 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
  • Chomskys 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
  • Brocas Area
  • Wernickes 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

Summary

 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.

Product details

• Authors: Frank Parker, Kathryn Riley
• Publisher: Pearson Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 05.09.2024
• EAN: 9780137152049
• ISBN: 978-0-13-715204-9
• No. of pages: 360
• Dimensions: 191 mm x 234 mm x 28 mm
• Weight: 635 g
• Series: Allyn & Bacon; Allyn & Bacon
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics