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Books > Language & Literature > Literary & linguistic reference works > General
A handbook -- type overview, covering the general history and each
individual book. Features include outlines, themes, interpretation
tips, helpful charts, time lines, and diagrams.
This book is a four-volume study on modern Chinese complex
sentences, giving an overview and detailed analysis on the key
attributes and three major types of this linguistic unit. Complex
sentences in modern Chinese are unique in formation and meaning.
The author proposes a tripartite classification of Chinese complex
sentences according to the semantic relationships between the
clauses, i.e., coordinate, causal, and adversative. The first
volume defines Chinese complex sentences and makes detailed
comparisons between the tripartite and dichotomous systems for the
classification of complex sentences. It then thoroughly
investigates causal complex sentences in their eight typical forms.
The second volume analyses the coordinated type in the broad sense
and the relevant forms, while the third focuses on adversative
type, examining the major forms and implications for research and
language teaching. The final volume looks into attributes of
Chinese complex sentences as a whole, discussing the constituents,
related sentence forms, and semantic and pragmatic relevance of
complex sentences. The book will be a useful reference for scholars
and learners of the Chinese language interested in Chinese grammar
and language information processing.
The eight-volume set systematically studies the phonetic and
lexical system and evolution of the Chinese language in three
phases. The history of the Chinese language is generally split into
three phases: 1) Old Chinese, the form of the Chinese language
spoken between the 18th century BC and the 3rd century AD, 2)
Middle Chinese, between the 4th century AD to around the 12th
century AD, and 3) Modern Chinese, since the 13th century,
comprised of an 'early modern' phase before the early 20th century
and the contemporary period since. The first three volumes examine
the phonetical systems of the language in each period and distinct
changes across time, covering the initials system, finals system
and tone system. The subsequent 5 volumes focus on lexical
development throughout the different phases. The author also
analyses basic issues of Chinese language study, the
standardization of a modern common language and the foreign
influence on the lexicon, helping us to better understand the
history and development of the Chinese language. Illustrated with
abundant examples, this comprehensive groundwork on Chinese
phonetical history will be a must read for scholars and students
studying Chinese language, linguistics and especially Chinese
phonetics and lexicon.
For decades Alan Powers has studied bird vocalizations, developing
the remarkable ability to imitate birds' songs and get them to
respond and even change tunes. Through his years of study, he has
discovered that birds can teach us important lessons about the
world and about ourselves. As Powers explains, by communing
cross-species we reach out to the timeless interconnected web of
all life past and present--what Renaissance philosopher Giordano
Bruno called in Latin the Uni-versus, the "Whole turned into One."
Sharing his journey to learn birdtalk and his profound observations
about the poetic, spiritual, and healing influences of birdsong,
Powers explores the ancient language of birds and the depth of
meaning birds convey. He explains how bird speech sounds like song
to us, but birdtalk is urgent and nuanced, whether about predators
or the weather. He details how he began learning birdtalk,
listening to one bird each summer, learning their many
vocalizations and variations. Discussing specific techniques, he
shares insights into the birdtalk of many species, including the
complex and intelligent speech of Crows, the emotional depths of
Loons, the mimicry of Blue Jays, and the beautiful song of the Wood
Thrush. Exploring the intertwined metaphysics of bird and human
languages, Powers looks at the long-standing tradition of
"avitherapy" throughout history, literature, and the arts. He
shares insights into birds from Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson,
reveals how birds appear in love songs throughout the world, and
examines how famous writers such as Keats, Catullus, St. Francis of
Assisi, and the French historian Jules Michelet found that talking
to birds improves their state of mind. He also explores how
song-talk with birds restores peace, calms anxiety, and enhances
health.
An essential companion for IELTS writing instructors and students,
Developing Writing Skills for IELTS provides IELTS test-takers with
the necessary skills to succeed in the two academic writing tasks
in IELTS. Adopting an original exemplar-based writing instructional
approach, this text offers an in-depth and reader-friendly analysis
of the assessment standards of the two academic writing tasks in
IELTS. Authentic exemplars written by EFL university students are
included to illustrate high (Bands 8-9), average (Bands 6-7), and
low (Bands 4-5) performances in IELTS writing. Key Features: *
Diagrammatical representation of assessment standards of the two
academic writing tasks by experienced IELTS writing examiners and
instructors. * 100 writing questions modelled after the IELTS
format, designed by the authors, and categorised according to
question types and topics that emerge from an analysis of over 400
IELTS writing questions. * Over 100 writing exemplars by EFL
university students, accompanied by guided activities and suggested
answers. Designed as a classroom text, a resource for workshops and
consultations, or a self-study material, Developing Writing Skills
for IELTS: A Research-based Approach will support IELTS writing
instructors and test-takers with a variety of writing
proficiencies.
This two-volume set presents a comprehensive syntactical picture of
Singapore Mandarin and discusses the distinguishing characteristics
of the Chinese language and especially Singapore Mandarin. As a
variety of Mandarin Chinese, Singapore Mandarin is characterised by
syntactic rules taking precedence over morphological rules. The
first volume provides an overview of the grammar of Singapore
Mandarin and argues that word order and functional words are
specifically important in the study of Singapore Mandarin. It also
explains the properties and functions of the nine grammatical
components, including phrase types, word classes, sentences,
subjects and predicates, predicates and objects, predicates and
complements, attributes and adverbials, complex predicate phrases
and prepositions and prepositional phrases. The second volume
describes expressions of number, quantity, time and place and
composite sentences, covering seven types of compound sentences,
eight types of complex sentences and connective words with a focus
on conjunctions. The concluding part of the study explores the
characteristics of Singapore Mandarin grammar compared with Chinese
Mandarin (Putonghua) and issues of language standardisation. With
rich and authentic language examples, the book will serve as a must
read for learners and teachers of Mandarin Chinese and linguistics
scholars interested in global Chinese and especially Singapore
Mandarin.
The Indo-European Languages presents a comprehensive survey of the
individual languages and language subgroups within this language
family. With over four hundred languages and dialects and almost
three billion native speakers, the Indo-European language family is
the largest of the recognized language groups and includes most of
the major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau and the
Indian subcontinent. Written by an international team of experts,
this comprehensive, single-volume tome presents in-depth
discussions of the historical development and specialized
linguistic features of the Indo-European languages. This unique
resource remains the ideal reference for advanced undergraduate and
postgraduate students of Indo-European linguistics and languages,
but also for more experienced researchers looking for an up-to-date
survey of separate Indo-European branches. It will be of interest
to researchers and anyone with an interest in historical
linguistics, linguistic anthropology and language development.
Instantly create hundreds of sentences for communication in
Japanese whether for a language course, travel or business. This 6
page laminated guide provides sample sentences with color-coded
nouns verbs and adjectives within those sentences that can be
replaced with words of the same color from a color coded bank of
words that can be plugged into those sentences. To change the
sentence, pick a different color-coded noun, verb or adjective for
a wide range of sentences for communication. Categories follow
those of beginner and intermediate Japanese language courses, which
are the same categories that cover those subjects that are helpful
to a traveler on vacation or on a business trip. 6-page laminated
guide includes: Japanese Hiragana Syllables Chart Katakana
Syllables Chart Greetings Common Helpful Words Common Helpful
Phrases Adjectives Basic Question Words Introductions Polite
Phrases Personal Family Titles for Addressing People Colors Months,
Days & Dates, Time Measurements Numbers, Counters Seasons &
Holidays Weather Money, Shopping Transportation & Travel
Directions Daily Living Entertainment & Hobbies Food, Dining
Out Workplace & School Communications Health & Medical Care
Emergencies Geography
Our ancestors developed a uniquely nature-focused society, centred
on esteemed poets, seers, monks, healers and wise women who were
deeply connected to the land. They used this connection to the
cycles of the natural world - from which we are increasingly
dissociated - as an animating force in their lives. In this
illuminating new book, Manchan Magan sets out on a journey, through
bogs, across rivers and over mountains, to trace these ancestor's
footsteps. He uncovers the ancient myths that have shaped our
national identity and are embedded in the strata of land that have
endured through millennia - from ice ages through to famines and
floods. Here, the River Shannon is a goddess, and trees and their
life-sustaining root systems are hallowed. See the world in a new
light in this magical exploration into the life-sustaining wisdom
of what lies beneath us. 'We could do with a lot more characters
like [Manchan] dotted about this world.' Irish Independent 'Manchan
creates a gorgeous tapestry that lingers in the mind's eye.' Kerri
Ni Dochartaigh 'Manchan['s] ... got some theories about the roots
of the Irish language that are going to blow your head off ... an
incredible storyteller.' Blindboy Boatclub Manchan's passion for
Ireland's ecological and poetic heritage is more urgently relevant
than ever.' Darach O Seaghdha
A classic of western literature, Julius Caesar's Gallic War is also
a staple of Latin language instruction at both the high school and
college levels. This new edition for students, prepared by a senior
classical scholar and translator, is among the most comprehensive
available and will be especially valuable because Caesar is one of
the two authors chosen for the new Advanced Placement curriculum in
high school Latin. The Gallic War is a lively autobiographical
account. Caesar writes passionately of his military exploits in
Gaul (58-51 b.c.), the region embracing territories we know today
as France, Germany, and Britain. Including all 933 AP line
selections from Caesar's Latin text, this edition begins with
Benario's introduction to the life and career of Julius Caesar,
followed by a brief history of Rome and the Gauls from the fourth
century b.c. to Caesar's consulship, when he conducted annual
campaigns to subdue the Gallic threat once and for all. The volume
also features: * A brief analysis of the Gallic War and of Caesar's
prose style * Benario's extensive commentary, which leads the
student through grammatical complexities, explains Caesar's
rhetorical, geographical, and historical references, and
illuminates aspects of Roman life ranging from military technology
to astronomy * A comprehensive vocabulary * A list of suggested
readings Benario's wide-ranging commentary lends this book a value
that goes beyond the classroom. Reading Caesar in this edition is
not the plodding exercise in translation that generations of high
school Latin students once endured. Instead readers see Rome's
Gallic frontier as one of its greatest military commanders saw it,
reminding us why Caesar's De bello Gallico has endured for more
than two thousand years.
If you were to master the twenty languages discussed in Babel, you
could talk with three quarters of the world's population. But what
makes these languages stand out amid the world's estimated 6,500
tongues?
Gaston Dorren delves deep into the linguistic oddities and
extraordinary stories of these diverse lingua francas, tracing their
origins and their sometimes bloody rise to greatness. He deciphers
their bewildering array of scripts, presents the gems and gaps in their
vocabularies and charts their coinages and loans. He even explains how
their grammars order their speakers' worldview.
Combining linguistics and cultural history, Babel takes us on an
intriguing tour of the world, addressing such questions as how tiny
Portugal spawned a major world language and Holland didn't, why
Japanese women talk differently from men, what it means for Russian to
be 'related' to English, and how non-alphabetic scripts, such as those
of India and China, do the same job as our 26 letters. Not to mention
the conundrums of why Vietnamese has four forms for 'I', or how Tamil
pronouns keep humans and deities apart.
Babel will change the way you look at the world and how we all speak.
The Diagnosis of Writing in a Second or Foreign Language is a
comprehensive survey of diagnostic assessment of second/foreign
language (SFL) writing. In this innovative book, a compelling case
is made for SFL writing as an individual, contextual, and
multidimensional ability, combining several theoretically informed
approaches upon which to base diagnosis. Using the diagnostic cycle
as the overarching framework, the book starts with the planning
phase, cover design, development, and delivery of diagnostic
assessment, ending with feedback and feed-forward aspects to feed
diagnostic information into the teaching and learning process. It
covers means to diagnose both the writing processes and products,
including the design and development of diagnostic tasks and rating
scales, as well as automated approaches to assessment. Also
included is a range of existing instruments and approaches to
diagnosing SFL writing. Addressing large-scale as well as classroom
contexts, this volume is useful for researchers, teachers, and
educational policy-makers in language learning.
German Grammar in Context presents an accessible and engaging
approach to learning grammar. Each chapter opens with a real-life
extract from a German newspaper, magazine, poem, book or internet
source and uses this text as the starting point for explaining a
particular key area of German grammar. A range of exercises follow
at the end of the chapter, helping students to reinforce and test
their understanding, and an answer key is also provided at the back
of the book. This second edition features: Updated texts with
current newspaper and magazine articles and new extracts from
digital media such as chatrooms or blogs Inclusion of a
wide-ranging selection of sources and topics to further students'
engagement with issues relevant to contemporary Germany and Austria
Clear and user-friendly coverage of grammar, aided by a list of
grammatical terms A wide variety of inventive exercises designed to
thoroughly build up grammatical understanding, vocabulary
acquisition and effective comprehension and communication skills
Helpful 'keyword boxes' translating difficult vocabulary in the
texts A recommended reading section offering advice on additional
grammar resources and website links German Grammar in Context will
be an essential resource for intermediate to advanced students of
German. It is suitable for both classroom use and independent
study.
Rhetoric gives our words the power to inspire. But it's not just for politicians: it's all around us, whether you're buttering up a key client or persuading your children to eat their greens. You have been using rhetoric yourself, all your life. After all, you know what a rhetorical question is, don't you?
In this updated edition of his classic guide, Sam Leith traces the art of argument from ancient Greece down to its many modern mutations. He introduces verbal villains from Hitler to Donald Trump - and the three musketeers: ethos, pathos and logos. He explains how rhetoric works in speeches from Cicero to Richard Nixon, and pays tribute to the rhetorical brilliance of AC/DC's "Back In Black". Before you know it, you'll be confident in chiasmus and proud of your panegyrics - because rhetoric is useful, relevant and absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
This comprehensive account of performance-based assessment of L2
lexical proficiency analyzes and compares two of the primary
methods of evaluation used in the field and unpacks the ways in
which they tap into different dimensions of one model of lexical
competence and proficiency. This book builds on the latest research
on performance-based assessment, which has most recently pointed to
the application of more quantitative measures to L2 data, to
systematically explore the qualitative method of using human raters
in assessment exercises and the quantitative method of using
automatic computation of statistical measures of lexis and
phraseology. Supported by an up-to-date review of the existing
literature, both approaches' unique features are highlighted but
also compared to one another to provide a holistic overview of
performance-based assessment as it stands today at both the
theoretical and empirical level. These findings are exemplified in
a concluding chapter, which summarizes results from an empirical
study looking at a range of lexical and phraseological features and
human raters' scores of over 150 essays written by both L2 learners
of English and native speakers. Taken together, the volume
challenges existing tendencies within the field which attempt to
use one method to validate one another by demonstrating their
capacity to indicate very different elements of lexical
proficiency, thereby offering a means by which to better
conceptualize performance-based assessment of L2 vocabulary in the
future. This book will be of interest to students and researchers
working in second language acquisition and applied linguistics
research, particularly those interested in issues around
assessment, vocabulary acquisition, and language proficiency.
The politicization of religion is a central feature of the modern
world, pointing to the continued relevance of the secularization
debate: does modernization result in the decline of the social and
political significance of religion or rather in a reaffirmation of
religious values? This book examines the emergence of different
patterns of secularization. It identifies the circumstances under
which religion may remain or cease to be politically active and
legitimate in societies where secularization has been initially
inhibited given a strong identification with the nation. Arguing
that in such societies the Church draws its power not only from its
relationship with the state but also its relationship with the
nation, this book identifies two patterns of secularization: (a)
co-optation, and (b) confrontation. The redefinition of the Church,
state and nation nexus is likely to result in secularization if (a)
the church obstructs the modernisation process (church and state),
and (b) if external threat perceptions decline (church and nation).
The simultaneous presence of these constraints serves to redefine
the role of religion in the formation of national identity.
Comparing Greece and the Republic of Ireland as two cultural
defence cases with a strong variation in the political and social
salience of religion, this book explains Ireland's current
secularization drive in terms of the fluidity of Irish national
identity and the rigidity of the Irish Catholic Church
(confrontation). It contrasts this with the Greek case where the
Church's resilience is linked to institutional flexibility on the
one hand and a reliance on an ethnic/religious national identity on
the other (co-optation). In conceptualizing the contemporary role
of religion in the Republic of Ireland and Greece, this book draws
a number of generalizable conclusions about the political role of
religion in cultural defence cases.
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