An Introduction to Language and Linguistics

'This is a great textbook covering all the major topics in language structure and use. It offers a comprehensive survey of the field as well as intriguing insights into many current issues, from formal syntax, through language and the brain to computational linguistics.' Alexander Bergs, Universitt Osnabrck

'An invaluable introduction to the subject that covers a wide range of topics in linguistics in a detailed yet accessible fashion. The extensive exercises will be particularly useful for teaching at undergraduate level and for postgraduates wishing to explore unfamiliar areas of the subject.' Philip A. Shaw, University of Leicester

Ralph Fasold is Professor Emeritus and past Chair of the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University. He is the author of four books and editor or co-editor of six others. Among them are the textbooks The Sociolinguistics of Society (1984) and The Sociolinguistics of Language (1990). Jeff Connor-Linton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University, where he has been Head of the Applied Linguistics Program and Department Chair. He is a past President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. He has supervised a multi-section introductory linguistics course and supervises the pedagogical training of graduate students in the linguistics department.

Introduction; 1. The sounds of language; 2. Words and their parts; 3. The structure of sentences; 4. Meaning; 5. Discourse; 6. Child language acquisition; 7. Language and the brain; 8. Language change; 9. Dialect variation; 10. Language and culture; 11. The politics of language; 12. Writing; 13. Second language acquisition; 14. Computational linguistics; Glossary.