Understanding Language

An introduction to linguistics, this book acquaints students to the key areas of linguistics using real-world illustrations. This fully revised and updated text draws upon students' daily experiences with linguistic concepts, allowing them to integrate terminology and build analytical skills as they develop a deeper understanding of how language facilitates our lives and, collectively, our society.Features of the third edition include: - A new chapter exploring language, the brain and the mind - A new chapter on World Englishes - Updated and expanded coverage of topics throughout, including animal communication systems, language and gender and educational linguistics - New and refreshed online resources offering additional support for teachers and students. Equipped with illustrations, diagrams and a wealth of examples of language in use, this book brings the study of language to life, using a wide range of materials including text from public signs, newspapers, magazines, digital platforms, snippets from real-life conversations as well as dialogue from print, film and television. The book's companion website provides a host of additional materials to further assist in the teaching and understanding of linguistics. It includes suggestions for further reading and a list of questions to consolidate understanding at each step.

Elizabeth Winkler is Faculty Emeritus at Western Kentucky University, USA.

Introduction
Part I: The Study of Language
1: What Every Native Speaker of a Language Secretly Understands
Part II: Defining Human Language and Acquisition
2: Human Language vs Animal Communication
3: First and Second Language Acquisition
4: Language, the Brain, and the Mind
Part III: Structures of Language
5: The Sound System: Phonetics and phonology
6: Morphology: Words and their Attachments
7: Grammar: The Structure of Language
Part IV: Language in Use
8: Semantics: Language and Meaning
9: Pragmatics: Language in use
10: Language and Gender: Change at the Intersection of Grammar, Meaning, and Use
Part V: Where are Languages Going and Where have they Been? Language Change and Variation
11: Language Variation and Change
12: World Englishes
References
Glossary
Index