04. Introducing English Linguistics.pdf

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Introducing English Linguistics

Are you looking for a genuine introduction to the linguistics of English

that provides a broad overview of the subject, that sustains students’

interest and avoids excessive detail? Introducing English Linguistics

accomplishes this goal in two ways. First, unlike traditional texts, it takes

a top-down approach to language, beginning with the largest unit of

linguistic structure, the text, and working its way down through

successively smaller structures (sentences, words, and finally speech

sounds). The advantage of presenting language this way is that students

are first given the larger picture – they study language in context – and

then as the class progresses, they see how the smaller pieces of language

are really a consequence of the larger goals of linguistic communication.

Second, Introducing English Linguistics does not contain invented examples,

as is the case with most comparable texts, but instead takes its sample

materials from the major computerized databases of spoken and written

English, giving students a more realistic view of language.

CHARLES F . MEYER is Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at

the University of Massachusetts, Boston. His recent publications include

English Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction (Cambridge, 2002).

Cambridge Introductions to Language and Linguistics

This new textbook series provides students and their teachers with accessible introductions to the major sub-

jects encountered within the study of language and linguistics. Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject,

each book is written and designed for ease of use in the classroom or seminar, and is ideal for adoption on a

modular course as the core recommended textbook. Each book offers the ideal introductory material for

each subject, presenting students with an overview of the main topics encountered in their course, and fea-

tures a glossary of useful terms, chapter previews and summaries, suggestions for further reading, and help-

ful exercises. Each book is accompanied by a supporting website.

Books published in the series:

Introducing Phonology David Odden

Introducing Speech and Language Processing John Coleman

Introducing Phonetic Science Michael Ashby and John Maidment

Introducing Second Language Acquisition Muriel Saville-Troike

Introducing English Linguistics Charles F. Meyer

Forthcoming:

Introducing Sociolinguistics Miriam Meyerhoff

Introducing Morphology Rochelle Lieber

Introducing Historical Linguistics Brian Joseph

Introducing Language Bert Vaux

Introducing Semantics Nick Riemer

Introducing Psycholinguistics Paul Warren