An Introduction to Language and Linguistics

by Ralph Fasold , Jeffrey Connor-Linton

• ISBN13: 9780521612357
• ISBN10: 0521612357
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-06
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This accessible textbook is the only introduction to linguistics in which each chapter is written by an expert who teaches courses on that topic, ensuring balanced and uniformly excellent coverage of the full range of modern linguistics. Assuming no prior knowledge the text offers a clear introduction to the traditional topics of structural linguistics (theories of sound, form, meaning, and language change), and in addition provides full coverage of contextual linguistics, including separate chapters on discourse, dialect variation, language and culture, and the politics of language. There are also up-to-date separate chapters on language and the brain, computational linguistics, writing, child language acquisition, and second-language learning. The breadth of the textbook makes it ideal for introductory courses on language and linguistics offered by departments of English, sociology, anthropology, and communications, as well as by linguistics departments.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
Universal properties of language	1	(6)
Modularity	2	(1)
Constituency and recursion	2	(1)
Discreteness	3	(1)
Productivit	4	(1)
Arbitrariness	4	(1)
Reliance on context	5	(1)
Variability	6	(1)
The descriptive approach	7	(2)
Defining language	9	(1)
The diversity of linguistics	10	(1)
How to approach this book	11	(2)
The sounds of language	13	(42)
Key terms	13	(1)
Chapter preview	13	(1)
Coals	14	(1)
Articulatory phonetics	14	(14)
The tools of phonetics	14	(1)
The vocal tract	14	(3)
Articulation	17	(1)
Manners of articulation	18	(2)
Writing sounds: transcription	20	(2)
Consonants	22	(3)
Vowels	25	(3)
Suprasegmentals	28	(4)
Length	28	(1)
Tone and intonation	29	(1)
Syllable structure	30	(1)
Stress	31	(1)
Acoustic phonetics	32	(6)
Sound waves	32	(1)
Simple and complex sounds	33	(1)
Hearing	34	(1)
Measuring speech	35	(3)
Phonology	38	(9)
Phonemes and allophones	38	(3)
Phonotactics	41	(2)
Alternation and allomorphs	43	(1)
Types of phonological alternations	44	(3)
Phonological theory	47	(2)
Chapter summary	49	(1)
Exercises	50	(3)
Suggestions for further reading	53	(2)
Words and their parts	55	(42)
Key terms	55	(1)
Chapter preview	55	(1)
Coals	56	(1)
What is a word?	56	(3)
Morphology: the study of word-structure	59	(7)
Morphemes	61	(3)
The forms of morphemes	64	(2)
Some morphological operations of the world's languages	66	(6)
Affixation	67
Other types of affixation	66	(3)
Reduplication	69	(2)
Ablaut and suppletion	71	(1)
Tone and stress	72	(1)
Two purposes of morphology: derivation and inflection	72	(20)
Derivation	74	(6)
Inflection	80	(10)
Acquiring inflectional contrasts	90	(2)
Chapter summary	92	(1)
Exercises	93	(3)
Suggestions for further reading	96	(1)
The structure of sentences	97	(40)
Key terms	97	(1)
Chapter preview	97	(1)
Goals	98	(1)
Poverty of the stimulus	98	(2)
The amazing robot basketball player	98	(1)
Applying the metaphor to the structure of sentences	99	(1)
Compositionality	100	(11)
Projection	100	(1)
Merger	101	(6)
Adjunction	107	(2)
Movement and deletion	109	(2)
Grammars are finite; language is not	111	(2)
Recursion	112	(1)
The significance of recursion	113	(1)
Restrictions	113	(9)
You can do without that, but not always	113	(3)
Heavy Determiner Phrase movement	116	(1)
The Binding Theory	117	(4)
Summary	121	(1)
Differences in syntax across languages	122	(4)
Head-complement order in Hindi	122	(1)
Immobile-WH-words in Thai	123	(1)
Gender in languages	123	(3)
Functional Syntax	126	(3)
A functional analysis of pronouns	126	(2)
Contrasting formal and functional analyses	128	(1)
Chapter summary	129	(2)
Exercises	131	(4)
Suggestions for further reading	135	(2)
Meaning	137	(32)
Key terms	137	(1)
Chapter preview	137	(1)
Goals	138	(1)
Speaker's meaning and semantic meaning	138	(1)
Semantics	139	(18)
Fundamental semantic concepts and compositionality	140	(1)
Subjects, predicates, and arguments	141	(2)
Thematic roles and lexical semantics	143	(3)
Logical words	146	(1)
Modifiers	147	(2)
Quantification	149	(3)
Intensionality	152	(4)
Semantics summary	156	(1)
Pragmatics 1: meaning and context	157	(2)
Indexicality, context-dependency, and anaphora	157	(1)
Presupposition	158	(1)
Pragmatics 2: meaning and the intention to communicate	159	(4)
The Gricean view of meaning	159	(1)
Implicature	160	(2)
Speech acts	162	(1)
Pragmatics summary	163	(1)
Philosophical issues	163	(3)
The psychological view	163	(2)
The referential view	165	(1)
Chapter summary	166	(1)
Exercises	166	(2)
Suggestions for further reading	168	(1)
Discourse	169	(36)
Key terms	169	(1)
Chapter preview	169	(1)
Goals	170	(1)
Language use above and beyond the sentence	170	(2)
Data: language use in everyday life	172	(3)
Spoken and written discourse: a first look	175	(1)
Spoken discourse	176	(10)
Sequential and distributional analyses	177	(1)
Repair and recipient design	178	(2)
Comparing transcripts	180	(2)
Adjacency pairs	182	(1)
Participation frameworks	183	(1)
Narratives	184	(1)
Summary: spoken discourse	185	(1)
Written discourse	186	(6)
Fragmentation and integration	186	(1)
Writing to be read	187	(5)
Language functions	192	(2)
Planes of discourse	194	(11)
Participation framework	195	(1)
Exchange structure	195	(1)
Act structures	196	(1)
Information state	196	(1)
Idea structure	196	(1)
Linking together planes of discourse	197	(1)
Chapter summary	198	(1)
Exercises	199	(3)
Suggestions for further reading	202	(3)
Child language acquisition	205	(30)
Key terms	205	(1)
Chapter preview	205	(1)
Goals	206	(1)
Gathering data on language acquisition	206	(4)
Parental diaries	206	(1)
Observational studies	207	(2)
Experimental studies	209	(1)
The data: milestones in child language development	210	(14)
The first sounds	210	(2)
The first words	212	(1)
First sentences: morphological and syntactic development	213	(6)
Crosslinguistic and crosscultural aspects of language acquisition	219	(5)
Explaining the data	224	(1)
Behaviorism	224	(1)
Nativism	225	(2)
Connectionism	227	(1)
Social interactionism	228	(2)
What's at stake in the child language debate?	230	(1)
Chapter summary	231	(1)
Exercises	231	(2)
Suggestions for further reading	233	(2)
Language and the Dram	235	(40)
Key terms	235	(1)
Chapter preview	235	(1)
Goals	236	(1)
The biology of the brain	236	(6)
The cerebrum	237	(1)
The cerebral cortex and its neurons	238	(1)
Cytoarchitectonics: the distribution of neurons in the cortex	238	(3)
The cerebellum, subcortical structures, and networks in the brain	241	(1)
Questions about the biology of language	242	(4)
Biological substrates: what are the biological bases of language?	242	(2)
Biotemporal dynamics: what does brain activity during language use look like?	244	(1)
Separability: do different language functions depend on different biological substrates?	244	(1)
Domain specificity: are the biological substrates of language dedicated exclusively to language?	245	(1)
Methods in the study of the biology of language	246	(9)
The lesion method	247	(1)
Hemodynamic neuroimaging	248	(3)
Event-related potentials	251	(2)
Magnetoencephalography	253	(1)
Direct brain recording and stimulation	253	(1)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation	254	(1)
Evidence and explanations	255	(18)
The lexicon, conceptual-semantics, and phonology	256	(8)
Syntax	264	(6)
Morphology	270	(3)
Chapter summary	273	(1)
Exercises	273	(1)
Suggestions for further reading	274	(1)
Language change	275	(36)
Key terms	275	(1)
Chapter preview	275	(1)
Goals	276	(1)
Languages change	276	(1)
Causes of language change	277	(3)
Articulatory simplification	277	(1)
Regularization	278	(1)
Language contact	278	(2)
Kinds of language change	280	(5)
Phonological change	281	(2)
Morphological change	283	(1)
Syntactic change	284	(1)
Semantic change	284	(1)
Mechanisms of language change	285	(13)
Sound change	285	(9)
Borrowing	294	(2)
Analogy	296	(2)
Linguistic reconstruction and language families	298	(6)
The comparative method	300	(3)
Internal reconstruction	303	(1)
Historical linguistics and culture	304	(1)
Chapter summary	305	(1)
Exercises	306	(4)
Suggestions for further reading	310	(1)
Dialect variation	311	(32)
Key terms	311	(1)
Chapter preview	311	(1)
Goals	312	(1)
The nature of dialect variation	312	(7)
Languages, dialects, and standards	312	(2)
The regular patterning of dialects	314	(1)
Why are standards held in such esteem?	314	(1)
Why dialects?	315	(1)
Inherent variability	316	(3)
Levels of dialect variation	319	(7)
Lexical variation	320	(1)
Phonological variation	321	(2)
Morphosyntactic variation	323	(1)
Pragmatic variation	324	(1)
Shared features among dialects	324	(2)
Types of dialect variation	326	(7)
Social class and social network	326	(2)
Gender-based patterns of variation	328	(1)
Ethnicity-based variation	329	(3)
Dialect and style	332	(1)
Age-based variation and language change	333	(1)
The fate of dialect variation	334	(3)
Chapter summary	337	(1)
Exercises	337	(4)
Suggestions for further reading	341	(2)
Language and culture	343	(30)
Key terms	343	(1)
Chapter preview	343	(1)
Goals	344	(1)
Culturally-influenced aspects of language	344	(3)
Language, culture, and framing	347	(2)
Crosscultural miscommunication	349	(2)
Politeness and interaction	351	(3)
High-involvement and high-considerateness styles	354	(8)
Overlap	354	(2)
Back-channel cues	356	(1)
Turn-taking	357	(3)
Asking questions	360	(1)
Indirectness	361	(1)
Mutual stereotyping	362	(1)
The ritual nature of conversation	362	(1)
Language and gender	363	(2)
Complementary schismogenesis	365	(1)
Language and cultural relativity	366	(3)
Chapter summary	369	(1)
Exercises	370	(1)
Suggestions for further reading	371	(2)
The politics of language	373	(28)
Key terms	373	(1)
Chapter preview	373	(1)
Goals	374	(1)
Identity politics and language	374	(4)
Identity in language	375	(1)
Key concepts	375	(2)
Interpreting some of the cases	377	(1)
Language standardization	378	(8)
Minimum and arbitrary standards	380	(1)
Nonstandard language: Ebonics	381	(2)
Language issues in China and Singapore	383	(2)
The politics of standardization	385	(1)
Diglossia	385	(1)
``Languages'' and ``dialects''	386	(3)
The politics of languages and dialects	388	(1)
Official English	389	(6)
Language rights in the United States	391	(1)
Bilingualism	391	(1)
Bilingual maintenance: continuing immigration	392	(1)
Bilingual maintenance: group identity	393	(2)
Controlling the content of speech	395	(3)
Blasphemy and cursing	396	(1)
Hate speech	397	(1)
Chapter summary	398	(1)
Exercises	399	(1)
Suggestions for further reading	400	(1)
Writing	401	(32)
Key terms	401	(1)
Chapter preview	401	(1)
Goals	402	(1)
Writing and speaking	402	(2)
Types of writing systems	404	(12)
Logographic systems	405	(4)
Syllabic systems	409	(2)
Alphabetic systems	411	(3)
Consonantal alphabetic systems	414	(2)
The development of writing	416	(9)
Protowriting	416	(3)
Cuneiform	419	(2)
Egyptian hieroglyphs	421	(2)
Early alphabets	423	(2)
The consequences of literacy	425	(4)
Conservatism	425	(1)
Democratization	426	(1)
Standardization	427	(1)
Relative advantage	428	(1)
Chapter summary	429	(1)
Exercises	430	(2)
Suggestions for further reading	432	(1)
Second language acquisition	433	(32)
Key terms	433	(1)
Chapter preview	433	(1)
Goals	434	(1)
Theories of second language acquisition	434	(12)
Behaviorism	434	(1)
Comprehensible input and the natural order hypothesis	435	(3)
The interaction hypothesis	438	(2)
Socioculturalism	440	(1)
Universal grammar	441	(2)
Frequency-based approaches	443	(2)
Summary	445	(1)
Individual differences in second language acquisition	446	(4)
First language (LI)	446	(1)
Age	446	(1)
Gender	447	(1)
Working memory	448	(1)
Motivation	448	(1)
Context of second language learning	449	(1)
SLA processes	450	(4)
Attention	450	(1)
Developmental sequences	450	(2)
Fossilization	452	(2)
Instruction	454	(5)
Teaching methods	455	(3)
Bridging the theory-pedagogy gap	458	(1)
Task-based language teaching and learning	458	(1)
Chapter summary	459	(1)
Exercises	460	(3)
Suggestions for further reading	463	(2)
Computational linguistics	465	(26)
Key terms	465	(1)
Chapter preview	465	(1)
Goals	466	(1)
The computational perspective	466	(1)
Morphological processing	466	(5)
Tokenization	468	(1)
Morphological analysis and synthesis	468	(3)
Syntactic processing	471	(7)
Context-free grammars	471	(1)
Parsing	472	(2)
Part-of-speech tagging	474	(1)
Beyond context-free grammars	474	(2)
Statistical parsing	476	(2)
Semantic processing	478	(3)
Word meaning	478	(1)
Sentence meaning	479	(2)
Natural language generation	481	(1)
Probabilistic theories	482	(2)
Related technologies	484	(4)
Information extraction	435	(1)
Speech recognition	435	(1)
Speech synthesis	435	(2)
Machine translation	437	(51)
Major challenges in computational linguistics	488	(1)
Chapter summary	489	(1)
Exercises	490	(1)
Suggestions for further reading	491