For the Love of Language
An Introduction to Linguistics

An engaging introduction to human language and the role of linguistics in understanding its fundamental design, acquisition and functions.

Kate Burridge (Author), Tonya N. Stebbins (Author)

9781108701013, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 November 2019

680 pages, 107 b/w illus. 103 tables
25.5 x 19 x 2.7 cm, 1.33 kg

For the Love of Language: An Introduction to Linguistics is an engaging introduction to human language and the role of linguistics in understanding its fundamental design, acquisition and functions. Replete with case studies and examples from Australia, New Zealand and around the world, this text offers a thorough introduction to core topics, including the structure and meaning of words, the systems that organise language, strategies for learning about language, the evolution of language and the function of language as a complex social resource. The second edition includes extensive new content across the entire text, including the areas of orthography, syntax, corpus linguistics, language acquisition and multilingualism. Each topic is accompanied by a wide array of pedagogical resources designed to consolidate student understanding, including examples and exercises. Each chapter ends with a research project, providing readers with an opportunity to build on fundamental skills and engage more thoroughly with each topic.

Part I. 'Using Language to Expose Language': Setting the Scene: 1. What is language?
2. What linguists do
3. Ways to study language
Part II. 'In the Beginning Was the Word': Words, Word Structure, and Meaning: 4. What's in a word?
5. Morphology: the structure of words
6. Semantics: the meaning of words
Part III. 'The Deep Grooves of Language': Sounds and Grammar: 7. Phonetics
8. Phonology: the sound system
9. Syntax: the structure of sentences
Part IV. 'Language Is a Social Fact': Variation and Change: 10. Variation and identity
11. Structure across time
12. Languages and cultures in contact
Part V. 'Language That Rolls up its Sleeves': Language at Work: 13. Language, text and interaction
14. Language, context and understanding
15. Language and social values
Part VI. 'Language Is the Dress of Thought': Language, Mind and World: 16. Language, the mind and the brain
17. Language acquisition
18. Computational linguistics.

Subject Areas: Sociolinguistics [CFB], Linguistics [CF], Language [C]