| Teach
Yourself Linguistics is a straightforward introduction
to linguistics - the systematic study of language which
attempts to answer two fundamental questions: 'What is
language?' and 'How does language work?'. It outlines
the scope of linguistics, explaining basic concepts and
essential terminology with examples drawn mainly from
English.
Sound patterning, syntax and meaning
- the inner core of linguistics - are discussed simply
and clearly, as are the rapidly growing areas of pragmatics,
sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and stylistics.
The book also deals with language and linguistic typology.
In its final section, it outlines
Chomsky's transformational grammar, including information
on his 'Minimalist Program'.
This new edition has been completely
updated to include an additional chapter on language
and style, which discusses literature, advertising and
newspapers, and sections on language origin, the role
of verbs, language and power and sign language.
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discover what language is