Author: Stephen R. Anderson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199590591
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this Very Short Introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Languages: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Stephen R. Anderson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199590591
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this Very Short Introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199590591
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this Very Short Introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Languages
Author: Stephen R. Anderson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191778018
Category : Language and languages
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191778018
Category : Language and languages
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Linguistics
Author: P. H. Matthews
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577510
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 158
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.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577510
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 158
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.
Sociolinguistics: A Very Short Introduction
Author: John Edwards
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199858616
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Book Description
In this Very Short Introduction, John Edwards offers the most up-to-date brief overview available of sociolinguistics, with side trips into the sociology of language and psycholinguistics.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199858616
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Book Description
In this Very Short Introduction, John Edwards offers the most up-to-date brief overview available of sociolinguistics, with side trips into the sociology of language and psycholinguistics.
Multilingualism
Author: John C. Maher
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198724993
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 169
Book Description
John C. Maher explains why societies everywhere have become more multilingual, despite the disappearance of hundreds of the world languages. He considers our notion of language as national or cultural identities, and discusses why nations cluster and survive around particular languages even as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198724993
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 169
Book Description
John C. Maher explains why societies everywhere have become more multilingual, despite the disappearance of hundreds of the world languages. He considers our notion of language as national or cultural identities, and discusses why nations cluster and survive around particular languages even as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood.
How English Became English
Author: Simon Horobin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198754272
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
The English language is a subject of fascination for many people and is frequently the subject of lively debate in the media. In this book, Simon Horobin considers the rich history of the English language, before moving to discuss its role, status, and future.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198754272
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
The English language is a subject of fascination for many people and is frequently the subject of lively debate in the media. In this book, Simon Horobin considers the rich history of the English language, before moving to discuss its role, status, and future.
Translation: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Matthew Reynolds
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191020095
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Translation is everywhere, and matters to everybody. Translation doesn't only give us foreign news, dubbed films and instructions for using the microwave: without it, there would be no world religions, and our literatures, our cultures, and our languages would be unrecognisable. In this Very Short Introduction, Matthew Reynolds gives an authoritative and thought-provoking account of the field, from ancient Akkadian to World English, from St Jerome to Google Translate. He shows how translation determines meaning, how it matters in commerce, empire, conflict and resistance, and why it is fundamental to literature and the arts. 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.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191020095
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Translation is everywhere, and matters to everybody. Translation doesn't only give us foreign news, dubbed films and instructions for using the microwave: without it, there would be no world religions, and our literatures, our cultures, and our languages would be unrecognisable. In this Very Short Introduction, Matthew Reynolds gives an authoritative and thought-provoking account of the field, from ancient Akkadian to World English, from St Jerome to Google Translate. He shows how translation determines meaning, how it matters in commerce, empire, conflict and resistance, and why it is fundamental to literature and the arts. 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.
An Introduction to Multilingualism
Author: Florian Coulmas
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198791100
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 341
Book Description
This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context. The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198791100
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 341
Book Description
This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context. The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.
A Short Introduction to the Study of Language
Author: Ellen Thompson
Publisher: Equinox Publishing (UK)
ISBN: 9781781797723
Category : Language acquisition
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
provides an accessible and up-to-date invitation to key concepts of modern language study.
Publisher: Equinox Publishing (UK)
ISBN: 9781781797723
Category : Language acquisition
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
provides an accessible and up-to-date invitation to key concepts of modern language study.
Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Andrew Robinson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199567786
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 177
Book Description
Starting with the origins of writing five thousand years ago, with cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, Robinson explains how these early forms developed into hundreds of scripts, including the Roman alphabet and Chinese characters. He reveals how the modern writing symbols and abbreviations we take for granted today--including airport signage and text messaging--resemble ancient ones much more closely than we might think. The book also includes a chronology of events from 3300 BC to AD 2000, a list of titles for further reading, and an index.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199567786
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 177
Book Description
Starting with the origins of writing five thousand years ago, with cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, Robinson explains how these early forms developed into hundreds of scripts, including the Roman alphabet and Chinese characters. He reveals how the modern writing symbols and abbreviations we take for granted today--including airport signage and text messaging--resemble ancient ones much more closely than we might think. The book also includes a chronology of events from 3300 BC to AD 2000, a list of titles for further reading, and an index.