Studying the English Language

ISBN-13: 9780230200142 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 296 str.

Rob Penhallurick

Opis

This is a clear and lively introduction to the English language and its use. Organized into thematic chapters, each of which can be read at one sitting, this expanded second edition has been revised in the light of recent research and features three new chapters on Chomsky, American English and English around the world.

Spis treści

Abbreviations List of Figures Acknowledgements Preface Space: The Diversity of English Time: The History and Pre-History of English Contact: The Case of Middle English 'She Loves You. Yes! Yes! Yes! American English Inside Out English Across the World: History and Varieties Signs: The Semiotic View of Language Strange Orchestras: The Underlying Symbolic Structure of Languages Myth: Language and Reality Sex: Language and Gender Tyranny: Some Daring and Ingenious Escapes Telling Stories: The Structure of Discourse in English What's in a Norm? The Nature of Standard English Language with Attitude: Dialect, Accent and Identity Fixing: Language Planning and Regulation Slippage: Slips of the Tongue and Other Blunders Communication Breakdown: Modelling What Happens When We Communicate Noam Chomsky and the Generative Enterprise: Language as it is if You Don't Have To Bother Talking The Nature of Language: Linguistic Theory and the Question of Origins References for Examples Bibliography Webography Index.

O autorze

ROB PENHALLURICK is Head of English at the University of Wales, Swansea, UK.

Blurb

How did English become a global language? What exactly is Standard English? What do slips of the tongue reveal about language?

Studying the English Language answers these questions and many more. Organised into eighteen thematic chapters, each of which can be read at one sitting, this is a clear and lively introduction to the diversity and history of English, and to relevant contemporary and classic work in linguistics. Thoroughly updated and revised, this second edition contains three new chapters, on the story of American English, the spread of English across the world and the work of Noam Chomsky. Wide ranging and easy to use, other topics include the effects of dialect and accent on identity, swearing and offensive names in English, language and gender, language planning and theories about the origin of language.

Full of entertaining examples, illustrations and useful guides to further reading, this is the ideal companion for all those new to the study of the English language, and essential reading for anyone with a general interest in the subject.