Understanding Language

Understanding Language PDF

Author: Elizabeth Winkler

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-07-09

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 144112411X

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Understanding Language is the second edition of this introduction to linguistics aimed at all students who are new to the subject. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of the key areas of linguistics, yet explains these in an easy to understand, jargon-free way. Pictures, diagrams, tables and suggestions for further reading together with Grace Winkler's witty prose make this an accessible, student friendly guide which should enable students to navigate this often complicated area of study. Topics covered include: language acquisition speech sounds the make-up of words grammar meaning communication the history of English language variation and change language and technology. This is an essential introduction for any student taking linguistics at university, whether as their main subject of study, or in conjunction with related fields.

Understanding Language

Understanding Language PDF

Author: Donald Fairbairn

Publisher: CUA Press

Published: 2011-07-20

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0813218667

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Understanding Language includes major sections on the noun and verb systems of the classical languages.

Language Development

Language Development PDF

Author: Sandra Levey

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2010-09-29

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 1412994748

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Language Development: Understanding Language Diversity in the Classroom offers comprehensive coverage of the language development process for pre- and in-service teachers while emphasizing the factors that further academic success in the classroom, including literacy skills, phonological awareness, and narrative. With chapters written by respected specialists in various fields, this interdisciplinary text illuminates the impact of language development on learning success and distinguishes between language differences and disorders, integrating illustrative case studies as well as helpful classroom strategies that teachers can implement right away.

Understanding Language Change

Understanding Language Change PDF

Author: April M. S. McMahon

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1994-03-17

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9780521446655

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This textbook analyses changes from every area of grammar and addresses recent developments in socio-historical linguistics.

Understanding Language Understanding

Understanding Language Understanding PDF

Author: Ashwin Ram

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 524

ISBN-13: 9780262181921

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This book highlights cutting-edge research relevant to the building of a computational model of reading comprehension, as in the processing and understanding of a natural language text or story. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of reading, with contributions from computer science, psychology, and philosophy. Contributors cover the theoretical and psychological foundations of the research in discussions of what it means to understand a text, how one builds a computational model, and related issues in knowledge representation and reasoning. The book also addresses some of the broader issues that a natural language system must deal with, such as reading in context, linguistic novelty, and information extraction.

Understanding Language Change

Understanding Language Change PDF

Author: Kate Burridge

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-11-03

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 1315463008

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2 Changes to the lexicon -- Introduction -- 2.1 Gaining words - lexical addition -- 2.1.1 Compounding -- 2.1.2 Affixation -- 2.1.3 Backformation -- 2.1.4 Conversion -- 2.1.5 Abbreviation -- 2.1.6 Acronyms -- 2.1.7 Blending -- 2.1.8 Commonization -- 2.1.9 Reduplication -- 2.1.10 Borrowing -- 2.1.11 Sound symbolism -- 2.1.12 A final word on the processes -- 2.2 Losing words - lexical mortality -- 2.2.1 Obsolescence -- 2.2.2 "Verbicide"--2.2.3 Reduction -- 2.2.4 Intolerable homonymy -- 2.3 Etymology - study of the origin of words -- Summary -- Further reading -- Exercises

Understanding Language through Humor

Understanding Language through Humor PDF

Author: Stanley Dubinsky

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-09-15

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 1139496948

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Students often struggle to understand linguistic concepts through examples of language data provided in class or in texts. Presented with ambiguous information, students frequently respond that they do not 'get it'. The solution is to find an example of humour that relies on the targeted ambiguity. Once they laugh at the joke, they have tacitly understood the concept, and then it is only a matter of explaining why they found it funny. Utilizing cartoons and jokes illustrating linguistic concepts, this book makes it easy to understand these concepts, while keeping the reader's attention and interest. Organized like a course textbook in linguistics, it covers all the major topics in a typical linguistics survey course, including communication systems, phonetics and phonology, morphemes, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourses, child language acquisition and language variation, while avoiding technical terminology.

Understanding the Chinese Language

Understanding the Chinese Language PDF

Author: Chris Shei

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-10-03

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 1317662806

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Understanding the Chinese Language provides a vibrant and comprehensive introduction to contemporary Chinese linguistics. Combining an accessible style with an in-depth treatment of the topics at hand, it uses clear, full descriptions and vivid, modern examples to systematically take students through the phonology, vocabulary, grammar, discourse structures and pragmatics of modern Chinese. No prior knowledge of Chinese or linguistics is required. Features include: Six detailed chapters covering the core linguistic aspects of the modern Chinese language, such as words, content units, sentences, speech acts, sentence-final particles and neologisms User-friendly comparisons and contrasts between English and Chinese throughout the text, helping to clearly explain important complexities and nuances of the Chinese language Clear, accessible explanations and insightful analysis of topics and linguistic devices, supported by many helpful examples, diagrams and tables Vivid and relevant examples drawn from real-life contemporary sources such as internet news reports, social networks like Sino Weibo, online forums and TV reality shows, offering fascinating perspectives on modern Chinese media, culture and society Pioneering coverage of Chinese new words and the social phenomena they reveal Additional exercises and four supplementary chapters covering Chinese syllables, idioms, discourse and culture available for free download at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415634885/ Written by a highly experienced instructor, researcher and linguist, Understanding the Chinese Language will be essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in Chinese linguistics. It will also be of interest to anyone interested in learning more about Chinese language and culture.

Understanding Second Language Acquisition

Understanding Second Language Acquisition PDF

Author: Lourdes Ortega

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-02-04

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 144411705X

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Whether we grow up with one, two, or several languages during our early years of life, many of us will learn a second, foreign, or heritage language in later years. The field of Second language acquisition (SLA, for short) investigates the human capacity to learn additional languages in late childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, after the first language --in the case of monolinguals-- or languages --in the case of bilinguals-- have already been acquired. Understanding Second Language Acquisition offers a wide-encompassing survey of this burgeoning field, its accumulated findings and proposed theories, its developed research paradigms, and its pending questions for the future. The book zooms in and out of universal, individual, and social forces, in each case evaluating the research findings that have been generated across diverse naturalistic and formal contexts for second language acquisition. It assumes no background in SLA and provides helpful chapter-by-chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading. Ideal as a textbook for students of applied linguistics, foreign language education, TESOL, and education, it is also recommended for students of linguistics, developmental psycholinguistics, psychology, and cognitive science. Supporting resources for tutors are available free at www.routledge.com/ortega.