This handbook provides a critical state-of-the-art overview of work in linguistic typology. It examines the directions and challenges of current research and shows how these reflect and inform work on the development of linguistic theory. It describes what typologists have revealed about language in general and discovered (and continue to discover) about the richly various ways in which meaning and expression are achieved in the world's languages.

Typological research extends across all branc...

This book provides an introduction to compositional semantics and to the syntax/semantics interface. It is rooted within the tradition of model theoretic semantics, and develops an explicit fragment of both the syntax and semantics of a rich portion of English. Professor Jacobson adopts a Direct Compositionality approach, whereby the syntax builds the expressions while the semantics simultaneously assigns each a model-theoretic interpretation.

Alongside this approach, the author also presents...

This engagingly written textbook provides a unique ‘hands-on’ introduction to sociolinguistics, which equips readers with the tools to start their own sociolinguistic research project. The book begins by outlining the historical, theoretical and cultural space in which language use occurs, before delving into the key topics and concepts of today’s field. It examines the choices speakers make in everyday life and assesses language and status across the world, by investigating variation i...

Attitudes towards spoken, signed, and written language are of significant interest to researchers in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, communication studies, and social psychology. This is the first interdisciplinary guide to traditional and cutting-edge methods for the investigation of language attitudes. Written by experts in the field, it provides an introduction to attitude theory, helps readers choose an appropriate method, and guides through research planning and design, data colle...

An Introduction to Syntactic Analysis and Theory offers beginning students a comprehensive overview of and introduction to our current understanding of the rules and principles that govern the syntax of natural languages. Includes numerous pedagogical features such as 'practice' boxes and sidebars, designed to facilitate understanding of both the 'hows' and the 'whys' of sentence structure. Guides readers through syntactic and morphological structures in a progressive manner. Takes the myster...

Optimality Theory's central idea is that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints. Exercises with chapters 1-7 and sections on further reading. For linguists with a knowledge of derivational Generative Phonology.

Stresses the importance of argumentation in everyday life Critical Thinking and Communication, 7/e, encourages students to develop skills in constructing and refuting arguments in contexts ranging from informal conversations to structured debates. The authors stress the importance of argumentation in everyday life while building student competence and critical awareness. Through exercises and examples, students learn to create arguments and develop, understand, and interpret extended cases.

Alles kla(a)r? is hét naslagwerk om Nederlanders die Duits spreken en Duitsers die Nederlands spreken te behoeden voor uitglijders. Tussen beide talen bestaan namelijk veel woorden die (bijna) precies hetzelfde geschreven of uitgesproken worden, maar iets heel anders betekenen. Zulke woorden staan bekend als valse vrienden, afkomstig van het Engelse 'false friends'. Als je denkt dat bijvoorbeeld bellen, Kleinkind en Winkel in beide talen wel hetzelfde zullen betekenen, zit je er nietsvermoed...

Sluit deze tekst wel aan bij de gestelde doelen? Hoe samenhangend is de tekst? Welke overtuigingsmiddelen worden ingezet? Is de argumentatie wel aanvaardbaar? Wanneer wordt informatie een verhaal? Hoe conventioneel is deze tekst? Al dit soort vragen komen aan bod in Tekstanalyse.

Dit handboek behandelt zes methoden waarmee teksten geanalyseerd en geëvalueerd kunnen worden: functionele analyse, coherentieanalyse, retorische analyse, argumentatieanalyse, narratieve analyse en genreanalyse. Dez...