Refreshed and updated, the fifth edition of this core textbook offers a clear and engaging introduction to the building blocks of the English language, namely its words, sounds and sentences. Assuming no prior knowledge, it combines accessibility with depth, offering detailed explanations of key topics and theories, including variation in vocabularies, the International Phonetic Alphabet and relevance theory in relation to pragmatics. Packed full of exercises to help consolidate learning, and equipped with examples and illustrations throughout, this book is essential reading for undergraduate students of English language and linguistics and a valuable resource for students and teachers of English as a second or foreign language. This new edition features: - An enhanced text design - Updated examples - Refreshed illustrations - New and improved exercises - Revised further reading lists. Divided into three Parts, succinct overviews and clearly-defined learning outcomes are provided at the start of each section, followed by glossaries of technical terms at the end. The book is also accompanied by a wealth of online resources, including downloadable PowerPoints, MP3 audio files, MP4 video lectures, and quizzes, further supporting readers in achieving their goals.

At some point in our past, human beings evolved the incredibly complex natural language systems which we all take for granted but without which we would not be able to communicate in the ways we do with each other, have civilizations, be able to contemplate the future and to change it. In the last hundred years we have begun to understand how these communication systems work. We know much about how we make speech sounds, organise them into words, the words into sentences and how the words and sentences we produce mean what they do. The subject within whose confines these discoveries have been made is linguistics. The knowledge we now have is passed on by teachers of linguistics many of whom are gifted and committed. Yet we know little about how they see their commitments to their subject. This book is the first to give teachers of linguistics the chance to reflect on their professional practice as teachers and thus to share their enthusiasms, their strategies and their personal approaches to their subject.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

At some point in our past, human beings evolved the incredibly complex natural language systems which we all take for granted but without which we would not be able to communicate in the ways we do with each other, have civilizations, be able to contemplate the future and to change it. In the last hundred years we have begun to understand how these communication systems work. We know much about how we make speech sounds, organise them into words, the words into sentences and how the words and sentences we produce mean what they do. The subject within whose confines these discoveries have been made is linguistics. The knowledge we now have is passed on by teachers of linguistics many of whom are gifted and committed. Yet we know little about how they see their commitments to their subject. This book is the first to give teachers of linguistics the chance to reflect on their professional practice as teachers and thus to share their enthusiasms, their strategies and their personal approaches to their subject.

Refreshed and updated, the fifth edition of this core textbook offers a clear and engaging introduction to the building blocks of the English language, namely its words, sounds and sentences. Assuming no prior knowledge, it combines accessibility with depth, offering detailed explanations of key topics and theories, including variation in vocabularies, the International Phonetic Alphabet and relevance theory in relation to pragmatics. Packed full of exercises to help consolidate learning, and equipped with examples and illustrations throughout, this book is essential reading for undergraduate students of English language and linguistics and a valuable resource for students and teachers of English as a second or foreign language. This new edition features: - An enhanced text design - Updated examples - Refreshed illustrations - New and improved exercises - Revised further reading lists. Divided into three Parts, succinct overviews and clearly-defined learning outcomes are provided at the start of each section, followed by glossaries of technical terms at the end. The book is also accompanied by a wealth of online resources, including downloadable PowerPoints, MP3 audio files, MP4 video lectures, and quizzes, further supporting readers in achieving their goals.