The Way of the Linguist

The Way of the Linguist PDF Author: Steve Kaufmann
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1420873296
Category : Linguistics
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.

The Way of the Linguist

The Way of the Linguist PDF Author: Steve Kaufmann
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1420873296
Category : Linguistics
Languages : en
Pages : 142

Get Book

Book Description
The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.

The Loom of Language

The Loom of Language PDF Author: Frederick Bodmer
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393300345
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 724

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Book Description
Here is an informative introduction to language: its origins in the past, its growth through history, and its present use for communication between peoples. It is at the same time a history of language, a guide to foreign tongues, and a method for learning them. It shows, through basic vocabularies, family resemblances of languages -- Teutonic, Romance, Greek -- helpful tricks of translation, key combinations of roots and phonetic patterns. It presents by common-sense methods the most helpful approach to the mastery of many languages; it condenses vocabulary to a minimum of essential words; it simplifies grammar in an entirely new way; and it teaches a language as it is actually used in everyday life.

Learning about Linguistics

Learning about Linguistics PDF Author: F.C. Stork
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134741677
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
This book offers a workbook approach to linguistics and provides guidelines for the study of language. It aims to give basic information and to indicate something of the background and development of the more important trends in the subject. Each chapter includes exercises which lead the reader outwards from the information given in the text. A list of suggested further reading and references follows each chapter so that each aspect of the subject may be followed up in greater depth if so desired. The book will be of particular use to first-year university students and to students in polytechnics, technical colleges, colleges of education and further education, and, the authors also hope, to many sixth-formers in secondary schools. It will also be of interest to the general reader who wishes to learn about linguistics.

Why Study Linguistics

Why Study Linguistics PDF Author: Kristin Denham
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429815638
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Why Study Linguistics is designed to help anyone with an interest in studying language understand what linguistics is, and what linguists do. Exploring how the scientific study of language differs from other ways of investigating this uniquely human behavior, Why Study Linguistics:? explores the various topics that students of linguistics study, including sound systems of language, the structure of words and sentences and their meanings, and the wider social context of language change and language variation;? explains what you might do with a degree in linguistics and the kinds of jobs and careers that studying linguistics prepares you for; is supported by a list of links to additional resources available online.? This book is the first of its kind and will be essential reading for anyone considering a course of study in this fascinating subject, as well as teachers, advisors, student mentors, and anyone who wants to know more about the scientific study of language.

Introducing English Linguistics

Introducing English Linguistics PDF Author: Charles F. Meyer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521833507
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
A genuine introduction to the linguistics of English that provides a broad overview of the subject that sustains students' interest and avoids excessive detail. 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.

Learning a Foreign Language

Learning a Foreign Language PDF Author: Alex Poole
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475854196
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 147

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Book Description
This text helps monolinguals achieve their dream of learning another language. Each chapter explains and exemplifies issues inherent in the language learning process that readers need to understand. These include maintaining motivation, dealing with errors, being strategic, and assessing progress. Readers receive advice on the practical steps they can take to make learning more effective and enjoyable. They also gain exposure to the methods and techniques used to research language learning. While doing so, they become aware of child language development, the evolution of language, language’s relationship to culture, and other fundamental areas of linguistics. Readers also confront limitations related to age and learn about the necessity of having realistic expectations concerning pronunciation, grammar production, word usage, and cultural knowledge. Questions following the end of every chapter encourage readers to reflect on the information presented and how they can use it. The text’s focus on first-time language learners and straightforward style make it accessible for high school students, college language majors, and those independently pursuing a language.

How Children Learn Language

How Children Learn Language PDF Author: William O'Grady
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139442155
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Adults tend to take language for granted - until they have to learn a new one. Then they realize how difficult it is to get the pronunciation right, to acquire the meaning of thousands of new words, and to learn how those words are put together to form sentences. Children, however, have mastered language before they can tie their shoes. In this engaging and accessible book, William O'Grady explains how this happens, discussing how children learn to produce and distinguish among sounds, their acquisition of words and meanings, and their mastery of the rules for building sentences. How Children Learn Language provides readers with a highly readable overview not only of the language acquisition process itself, but also of the ingenious experiments and techniques that researchers use to investigate his mysterious phenomenon. It will be of great interest to anyone - parent or student - wishing to find out how children acquire language.

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: P. H. Matthews
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577510
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, 'arts' end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the 'science' aspects. A series of short thematic chapters look in turn at such areas as the prehistory of languages and their common origins, language and evolution, language in time and space (the nature of change inherent in language), grammars and dictionaries (how systematic is language?), and phonetics. Explication of the newest discoveries pertaining to language in the brain completes the coverage of all major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing and insightful angle. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Frequency Effects in Language Learning and Processing

Frequency Effects in Language Learning and Processing PDF Author: Stefan Th. Gries
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110274051
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
The volume contains a collection of studies on how the analysis of corpus and psycholinguistic data reveal how linguistic knowledge is affected by the frequency of linguistic elements/stimuli. The studies explore a wide range of phenomena , from phonological reduction processes and palatalization to morphological productivity, diachronic change, adjective preposition constructions, auxiliary omission, and multi-word units. The languages studied are Spanish and artificial languages, Russian, Dutch, and English. The sister volume focuses on language representation.

Language Learning Environments

Language Learning Environments PDF Author: Phil Benson
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
ISBN: 1788924924
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
This book is the first in-depth examination of the application of theories of space to issues of second language learning. The author introduces the work of key thinkers on the theory of space and place and the relevance of their ideas to second language acquisition (SLA). He also outlines a new conceptual framework and set of terms for researching SLA that centre on the idea of 'language learning environments'. The book considers the spatial contexts in which language learning takes place and investigates how these spatial contexts are transformed into individualised language learning environments, as learners engage with a range of human and nonhuman, and physical and nonphysical, resources in their daily lives. Revisiting linguistics and language learning theory from a spatial perspective, the book demonstrates that the question of where people learn languages is equally as important as that of how they do so. This work is essential reading for any researcher wishing to research the role of the environment as an active player in SLA.