This volume presents a synthesis of cognitive linguistic theory and research on first and second language acquistion, language processing, individual differences in linguistic knowledge, and on the role of multi-word chunks and low-level schemas in language production and comprehension. It highlights the tension between "linguists' grammars," which are strongly influenced by principles such as economy and elegance, and "speakers' grammars," which are often messy, less than fully general, and sometimes inconsistent, and argues that cognitive linguistics is an empirical science which combines...

Cognitive foundations of language introduces the reader to the abilities and processes in which research in Cognitive Linguistics is grounded. The book looks at key concepts, such as embodiment, salience, entrenchment, construal, categorization, and collaborative communication, and discusses their genesis and implications for cognitive linguistic research.

The chapters provide comprehensive surveys of the major subfields of Cognitive Linguistics. Apart from phonology, construction grammar and lexical semantics, the areas of language use, language acquisition and literary discourse are comprehensively presented.

The key topics discussed in this book illustrate the breadth of cognitive linguistic research and include semantic typology, space, fictive motion, argument structure constructions, and prototype effects in grammar. New themes such as individual differences, emergence, and default non-salient interpretations also receive coverage.