Understanding Language: A Basic Course in Linguistics

Part I: Defining and Acquiring Language; 1. What every native speaker of a language secretly understands; 2. Human Language versus Animal Communication; 3. First and Second Language Acquisition; Part II: Structures of Language; 4. The Sound System: Phonetics and Phonology; 5. Morphology: Words and Their Attachments; 6. Grammar; 7. The History of English; Part III: Language in Use; 8. Language and Meaning: Semantics; 9. Pragmatics: Language in Use; 10. Language and Technology; 11. Language Variation and Change; Bibliography; Index.

Elizabeth Grace Winkler is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Western Kentucky University, USA

"'This book is a beautifully organized, clear and readable introduction to the field of linguistics. The writing is lively and interesting, while at the same time presenting complex and often technical ideas in a manner that's both accurate and accessible. Students brand new to the discipline will enjoy reading this book, and linguists who teach introductory courses will benefit from its clear and direct explanations.' (Amy Fountain, Adjunct lecturer in the Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona) 'In summary, this book is well-suited for students and everyone else who wants to learn about the basic structure of language. It is also very useful for instructors, who will be able to find many examples and ideas of how to introduce and explain complex topics. It is excellent for introductory purposes.' (Linguist List) "Writing in an accessible style, she covers the primary areas of linguistic study-phonetics, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics-and in this her book is comparable to such established classroom texts... This is one of those textbooks that may be as useful in the library as in the classroom; it would be a reasonable resource for those looking for a basic, concise overview. Summing Up: Recommended" (P. J. Kurtz, CHOICE)"