Learning about Language
About the Book Series
Learning about Language is an exciting and ambitious series of introductions to fundamental topics in language, linguistics and related areas. The books are designed for students of linguistics and those who are studying language as part of a wider course.
This series was co-founded by Mick Short and Geoffrey Leech. It is now edited by Brian Walker and Willem Hollmann who continue to consult with Mick Short.
Varieties of Modern English: An Introduction
1st Edition
By Diane Davies
April 07, 2005
The 'story' of English is continually re-told and re-written, as more and more people use the language and have a part in shaping the way it develops. Varieties of Modern English provides a critical introduction to the study of regional, social, gendered, context- and medium-related varieties of ...
The Earliest English: An Introduction to Old English Language
1st Edition
By Chris Mccully, Sharon Hilles
September 09, 2004
The Earliest English provides a student-friendly introduction to Old English and the earliest periods of the history of the English Language as it evolved before 1215. Using non-technical language, the book covers basic terminology, the linguistic and cultural backgrounds to the emergence and ...
The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics
1st Edition
By Henry Rogers
April 10, 2000
Phonetics is the scientific study of sounds used in language- how the sounds are produced, how they are transferred from the speaker to the hearer and how they are heard and perceived. The Sounds of Language provides an accessible, general introduction to phonetics with a special emphasis on ...
An Introduction to Child Language Development
1st Edition
By Susan H.Foster- Cohen
January 05, 1999
This volume introduces the field of child language development studies, and presents hypotheses in an accessible, largely non-technical language, aiming to demonstrate the relationship between these hypotheses and interpretations of data. It makes the assumption that having a theory of language ...
An Introduction to Natural Language Processing Through Prolog
1st Edition
By Clive Matthews
July 10, 1998
Research into Natural Language Processing - the use of computers to process language - has developed over the last couple of decades into one of the most vigorous and interesting areas of current work on language and communication. This book introduces the subject through the discussion and ...
Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics
1st Edition
By Jenny A. Thomas
November 22, 1995
Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics is a comprehensive introductory text which discusses the development of pragmatics - its aims and methodology - and also introduces themes that are not generally covered in other texts.Jenny Thomas focuses on the dynamic nature of speaker ...
Watching English Change: An Introduction to the Study of Linguistic Change in Standard Englishes in the 20th Century
1st Edition
By Laurie Bauer
September 12, 1994
Examines the ways language has changed in the twentieth century. It concentrates on standard English and takes a historical rather than sociolinguistic view of the changes which have occurred....
Realms of Meaning: An Introduction to Semantics
1st Edition
By Thomas R. Hofmann
November 22, 1993
Provides an understanding of the way meaning works in natural languages, against a background of how we communicate with language. Examples are chosen mainly from English to provide material for the wider discussion of the principles of the subject, but European, East Asian and other languages also...
Grammar and Meaning: A Semantic Approach to English Grammar
1st Edition
By Howard Jackson
October 29, 1990
Grammar and Meaning is an introduction to the study of grammar of contemporary English. It provides an impressive survey of all the main areas of English grammar, from words through to sentences and texts. It introduces and explains the linguistic terms needed to talk about the ways in which ...
Words and Their Meaning
1st Edition
By Howard Jackson
October 24, 1988
In this book, the development of the English dictionary is examined, along with the kinds of dictionary available, the range of information they contain, factors affecting their usage, and public attitudes towards them. As well as an descriptive analysis of word meaning, the author considers ...
Patterns of Spoken English: An Introduction to English Phonetics
1st Edition
By Gerald Knowles
April 13, 1987
First published in 1987. Most introductory textbooks in phonetics are designed to turn the people who use them into phoneticians. People who take phonetics courses, on the other hand, do not in general wish to become specialists, but rather need to know what the study of phonetics has to offer in ...