The Sense Of Language

As its title states, this work formulates in language a sense of language, a sense of our involvement in speaking and listening, reading and writing. What it works out may be called the sense, only because it provides, or hopes to provide, an access to the myriad possibilities of language. In fact, if the four Chapters in any way "grind an axe", they do so with a view to decapitating the overweening contemporary tendency to hedge in language, to make some thing of a prison out of it ... for ourselves. The reader should bear in mind that the purport of the work lies in learning the sense of language, not in teaching it. I grant a book is utterly worthless unless something of importance can be learned from it, but I also believe a philosophical book can not and (even if it tries) does not teach anything. There are indeed good books which teach and exposit material for the reader, but they are peripheral to the reflective domain. In my career as a teacher of sorts, I have discovered how difficult works like Aristotle's Metaphysics suddenly make sense to students when they finally read them as manuals for learning, handbooks suggesting what the reader can examine in order to understand not the book primarily, but his own experience of and thought upon things. My own work here will, I hope, be taken as something of a handbook.

Chosen for their accessibility and variety, the readings in Making Sense of Language: Readings in Culture and Communication, Third Edition, engage students in thinking about the nature of language--arguably the most uniquely human of all our characteristics--and its involvement in every aspect of human society and experience. Instead of taking an ideological stance on specific issues, the text presents a range of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives and bolsters them with pedagogical support, including unit and chapter introductions; critical-thinking, reading, and application questions; suggested further reading; and a comprehensive glossary. Questions of power, identity, interaction, ideology, and the nature of language and other semiotic systems are woven throughout the third edition of Making Sense of Language, making it an exemplary text for courses in language and culture, linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, and four-field anthropology.

As its title states, this work formulates in language a sense of language, a sense of our involvement in speaking and listening, reading and writing. What it works out may be called the sense, only because it provides, or hopes to provide, an access to the myriad possibilities of language. In fact, if the four Chapters in any way "grind an axe", they do so with a view to decapitating the overweening contemporary tendency to hedge in language, to make some thing of a prison out of it ... for ourselves. The reader should bear in mind that the purport of the work lies in learning the sense of language, not in teaching it. I grant a book is utterly worthless unless something of importance can be learned from it, but I also believe a philosophical book can not and (even if it tries) does not teach anything. There are indeed good books which teach and exposit material for the reader, but they are peripheral to the reflective domain. In my career as a teacher of sorts, I have discovered how difficult works like Aristotle's Metaphysics suddenly make sense to students when they finally read them as manuals for learning, handbooks suggesting what the reader can examine in order to understand not the book primarily, but his own experience of and thought upon things. My own work here will, I hope, be taken as something of a handbook.

Why is it that some ways of using English are considered "good" and others are considered "bad"? Why are certain forms of language termed elegant, eloquent or refined, whereas others are deemed uneducated, coarse, or inappropriate? Making Sense of "Bad English" is an accessible introduction to attitudes and ideologies towards the use of English in different settings around the world. Outlining how perceptions about what constitutes "good" and "bad" English have been shaped, this book shows how these principles are based on social factors rather than linguistic issues and highlights some of the real-life consequences of these perceptions. Features include: an overview of attitudes towards English and how they came about, as well as real-life consequences and benefits of using "bad" English; explicit links between different English language systems, including child’s English, English as a lingua franca, African American English, Singlish, and New Delhi English; examples taken from classic names in the field of sociolinguistics, including Labov, Trudgill, Baugh, and Lambert, as well as rising stars and more recent cutting-edge research; links to relevant social parallels, including cultural outputs such as holiday myths, to help readers engage in a new way with the notion of Standard English; supporting online material for students which features worksheets, links to audio and news files, further examples and discussion questions, and background on key issues from the book. Making Sense of "Bad English" provides an engaging and thought-provoking overview of this topic and is essential reading for any student studying sociolinguistics within a global setting.

This book explores twenty-first century approaches to place by bringing together a range of language variation and change research.

"Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech" is a seminal work by the renowned linguist Edward Sapir. Published in 1921, this book delves into the intricacies of language and its role in shaping human thought and culture. Sapir, known for his contributions to the fields of anthropology and linguistics, explores how language reflects and influences the way we perceive the world around us. In his book, Sapir discusses various aspects of language, including its structure, grammar, and the ways in which different languages shape our understanding of reality. He also delves into the concept of linguistic relativity, which suggests that the structure of a language can affect the way its speakers perceive the world. Through insightful analysis and engaging prose, Sapir invites readers to delve into the fascinating world of language and its profound impact on human society. "Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech" remains a classic text in the field of linguistics, offering valuable insights into the nature of language and its significance in human communication.