Teach Yourself Linguistics

by Jean Aitchison

Book Overview

Is this the right book for me? This classic book is a straightforward introduction to linguistics which attempts to answer two fundamental questions: 'What is language?' and 'How does language work?'... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071429824
• ISBN13: 9780071429825
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Teach Yourself
• Length: 257 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Great Introduction, Wonderfully Organized

I have to admit: when I first ordered Teach Yourself Linguistics, I was highly skeptical. I had never been a fan of those series that claim they have a subject on everything, and hire "experts" in the field. I was greatly surprised by the clear and easy to understand organization, and was also impressed that the book did not attempt to appeal as a "bedside table" book. Instead, it is written almost like the notes of a textbook, with the fat and excess trimmed out. The book starts with an introduction to the field of linguistics, answering questions such as "What is linguistics?", "How does it differ from grammar?" and "Why study linguistics?" It then goes on to explain language in a brief, succint chapter, after introducing readers to the various fields of linguistics. Part ll of the book introduces the reader to the three core areas of linguistics: phonology, syntax, and semantics. Part lll goes onto describe the up and coming fields of linguistics: sociolinguistics, pyscholinguistics, and stylistics. The book goes on to describe language change, and ends with a chapter concerning generative grammar and language universals. (Noam Chomsky) All and all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in anything concerning linguistics, as it provides a take-off point for those who want to explore other specific fields. Happy reading!!!

Excellent handbook

Only 250 small pages, yet it gives you a very good overview of linguistics, and is written in an easy to digest style, with lots of diagrammatic illustrations to boost your understanding. It could also be used as a quick look up reference book. In Part 5 of the book, you will find simple but quality explanations on Universal Grammer, Deep Structure, Transformations, etc. And it gives an excellent overview of how one theory has led to another, such as, how Noam Chomsky has come all the way to the Minimalist approach today, its very instructive, without being swamped in details! Highly recommended and cost less than $12.00!

Simple but not dumb

Please note that there is a sixth edition (0340870834) Aitchison has written a superb book that is both highly informative and easily read. I would highly recommend this for those who are new to the field of linguistics or who are studying it in a second language. This book is laid out in relation to a pattern of moving from the inner core of linguistics (phonetics and phonology) outwards through syntax, semantics, and pragmatics to the various fields of linguistics research. Chapters on sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the idea of a universal grammar are included but with simple titles such as "Language and Society." The strength of this book lies in its uncomplicated explanations of these fields. Each chapter includes questions for review that are useful in teaching yourself or for assigning to a class. The end of the book includes a selection of further readings arranged by category which many will find useful.

Simple but not dumb

Aitchison has written a superb book that is both highly informative and easily read. I would highly recommend this for those who are new to the field of linguistics or who are studying it in a second language. This book is laid out in relation to a pattern of moving from the inner core of linguistics (phonetics and phonology) outwards through syntax, semantics, and pragmatics to the various fields of linguistics research. Chapters on sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the idea of a universal grammar are included but with simple titles such as "Language and Society." The strength of this book lies in its uncomplicated explanations of these fields. Each chapter includes questions for review that are useful in teaching yourself or for assigning to a class. The end of the book includes a selection of further readings arranged by category which many will find useful.

Excellent introduction

I have always loved language, and have been especially interested in foreign languages, so I thought that I might like linguistics. After reading this book I found that I was indeed interested in the area, and now I am considering making it my college major.The book started out by asking basic questions (What is language?) and describing the topics that comprise linguistics; it then branched out into areas such as sociolinguistics, concluding with an overview of Chomsky's ideas. The clear diagrams were very helpful in explaining the text. At the end, there is a list of suggested titles for further reading, organized by topic. I was delighted to discover that even things we think we know, such as what one word is, are not always clearly defined. The book is full of interesting information and anecdotes to illustrate points. I learned, for example, that in the Welsh language there is a color which roughly translates to the English "blue," but the color also includes shades of what we call "gray" and "green." The Chomsky section was a little dry because it was so abstract and lengthy, but overall the book was fascinating. I think that it is much more than a list of terms, as one reviewer asserted. Also, I agree with the reviewer who observed that this books gives readers an idea of what specific areas of linguistics they are most interested in. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in linguistics.