Languages A Very Short Introduction

Download Languages A Very Short Introduction full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Languages A Very Short Introduction ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

Languages: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Stephen Anderson
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191642312
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Languages: A Very Short Introduction by : Stephen Anderson

Download or read book Languages: A Very Short Introduction written by Stephen Anderson and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-06-28 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? The diversity of languages today is varied, but it is steadily declining. In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Anderson answers the above questions by looking at the science behind languages. Considering a wide range of different languages and linguistic examples, he demonstrates how languages are not uniformly distributed around the world; just as some places are more diverse than others in terms of plants and animal species, the same goes for the distribution of languages. Exploring the basis for linguistic classification and raising questions about how we identify a language, as well as considering signed languages as well as spoken, Anderson examines the wider social issues of losing languages, and their impact in terms of the endangerment of cultures and peoples. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Languages: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Stephen R. Anderson
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199590591
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Languages: A Very Short Introduction by : Stephen R. Anderson

Download or read book Languages: A Very Short Introduction written by Stephen R. Anderson and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012-06-28 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this Very Short Introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction

Author : P. H. Matthews
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191577510
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (915 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction by : P. H. Matthews

Download or read book Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction written by P. H. Matthews and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2003-04-24 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, 'arts' end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the 'science' aspects. A series of short thematic chapters look in turn at such areas as the prehistory of languages and their common origins, language and evolution, language in time and space (the nature of change inherent in language), grammars and dictionaries (how systematic is language?), and phonetics. Explication of the newest discoveries pertaining to language in the brain completes the coverage of all major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing and insightful angle. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Sociolinguistics: A Very Short Introduction

Author : John Edwards
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199858616
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (998 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Sociolinguistics: A Very Short Introduction by : John Edwards

Download or read book Sociolinguistics: A Very Short Introduction written by John Edwards and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-25 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Very Short Introduction deals with the social life of language, presenting a succinct account of the most important aspects - both "micro" and "macro" - of sociolinguistics, such as language variation, language attitudes, and the relationship between language and identity.

The English Language

Author : Simon Horobin
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198709250
Total Pages : 177 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The English Language by : Simon Horobin

Download or read book The English Language written by Simon Horobin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[This book]: provides a concise and accessible history of English; engages with key debates concerning issues of correctness, standards, and dialects; investigates the uses of English worldwide; reflects on the future of the English language..."--Publisher description.

Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction

Author : John C. Maher
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191038075
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction by : John C. Maher

Download or read book Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction written by John C. Maher and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-18 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The languages of the world can be seen and heard in cities and towns, forests and isolated settlements, as well as on the internet and in international organizations like the UN or the EU. How did the world acquire so many languages? Why can't we all speak one language, like English or Esperanto? And what makes a person bilingual? Multilingualism, language diversity in society, is a perfect expression of human plurality. About 6,500-7,000 languages are spoken, written and signed, throughout the linguistic landscape of the world, by people who communicate in more than one language (at work, or in the family or community). Many origin myths, like Babel, called it a 'punishment' but multilingualism makes us who we are and plays a large part of our sense of belonging. Languages are instruments for interacting with the cultural environment and their ecology is complex. They can die (Tasmanian), or decline then revive (Manx and Hawaiian), reconstitute from older forms (modern Hebrew), gain new status (Catalan and Maori) or become autonomous national languages (Croatian). Languages can even play a supportive and symbolic role as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood, such as in the cases of Catalonia and Scotland. In this Very Short Introduction John C. Maher shows how multilingualism offers cultural diversity, complex identities, and alternative ways of doing and knowing to hybrid identities. Increasing multilingualism is drastically changing our view of the value of language, and our notion of the part language plays in national and cultural identities. At the same time multilingualism can lead to social and political conflict, unequal power relations, issues of multiculturalism, and discussions over 'national' or 'official' languages, with struggles over language rights of local and indigenous communities. Considering multilingualism in the context of globalization, Maher also looks at the fate of many endangered languages as they disappear from the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Translation: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Matthew Reynolds
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191020095
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Translation: A Very Short Introduction by : Matthew Reynolds

Download or read book Translation: A Very Short Introduction written by Matthew Reynolds and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-10-20 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Translation is everywhere, and matters to everybody. Translation doesn't only give us foreign news, dubbed films and instructions for using the microwave: without it, there would be no world religions, and our literatures, our cultures, and our languages would be unrecognisable. In this Very Short Introduction, Matthew Reynolds gives an authoritative and thought-provoking account of the field, from ancient Akkadian to World English, from St Jerome to Google Translate. He shows how translation determines meaning, how it matters in commerce, empire, conflict and resistance, and why it is fundamental to literature and the arts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Education: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Gary Thomas
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199643261
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (996 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Education: A Very Short Introduction by : Gary Thomas

Download or read book Education: A Very Short Introduction written by Gary Thomas and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the schools of ancient times to the present day, Gary Thomas looks at how and why education evolved as it has. By exploring some of the big questions, he examines the ways in which schools work, considers the differences around the world, and concludes by considering the future of education worldwide.

Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Andrew Robinson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199567786
Total Pages : 177 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction by : Andrew Robinson

Download or read book Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction written by Andrew Robinson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-08-27 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Starting with the origins of writing five thousand years ago, with cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, Andrew Robinson explains how these early forms of writing developed into hundreds of scripts including the Roman alphabet and the Chinese characters. He reveals how the modern writing system we take for granted - including airport signage and electronic text messaging - resemble ancient scripts much more closely than we think." --Book Jacket.

Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Catriona Kelly
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 9780191577505
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (775 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction by : Catriona Kelly

Download or read book Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction written by Catriona Kelly and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2001-08-23 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is intended to capture the interest of anyone who has been attracted to Russian culture through the greats of Russian literature, either through the texts themselves, or encountering them in the cinema, or opera. Rather than a conventional chronology of Russian literature, the book will explore the place and importance of literature of all sorts in Russian culture. How and when did a Russian national literature come into being? What shaped its creation? How have the Russians regarded their literary language? The book will uses the figure of Pushkin, 'the Russian Shakespeare' as a recurring example as his work influenced every Russian writer who came after hime, whether poets or novelists. It will look at such questions as why Russian writers are venerated, how they've been interpreted inside Russia and beyond, and the influences of such things as the folk tale tradition, orthodox religion, and the West ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Margaret J. Snowling
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192550411
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (925 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction by : Margaret J. Snowling

Download or read book Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction written by Margaret J. Snowling and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-23 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since dyslexia was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1896, there has been debate about the definitions and diagnostic procedures used, with some casting doubt on its very existence. However, there is now a considerable body of research regarding the nature and characteristics of this relatively common learning disorder. The contemporary view of dyslexia has emerged from a century of research in medicine, psychology and more recently neuroscience, and we now understand enough about this learning disorder to guide policy and practice. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible overview of this exciting field of research, beginning with its history, and drawing on testimony from people living with dyslexia. Considering the potential causes of dyslexia, and looking at both genetic and environment factors, Margaret Snowling shows how cross-linguistic studies have documented the prevalence of dyslexia in different languages. Discussing the various brain scanning techniques that have been used to find out if the brains of people with dyslexia differ in structure or function from those of typical readers, Snowling moves on to weigh up various strategies and interventions which can help people living with dyslexia today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Identity: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Florian Coulmas
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192563610
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (925 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Identity: A Very Short Introduction by : Florian Coulmas

Download or read book Identity: A Very Short Introduction written by Florian Coulmas and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-02-15 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Identity has become one of the most widely used terms today, appearing in many different contexts. Anything and everything has an identity, and identity crises have become almost equally pervasive. Yet 'identity' is extremely versatile, meaning different things to different people and in different scientific disciplines. To many its meaning seems self-evident, since its various uses share common features, so often the term is used without a definition of what, exactly, is meant by it. This provokes the core question: What exactly is identity? In this Very Short Introduction Florian Coulmas provides a survey of the many faces of the concept of identity, and discusses its significance and varied meanings in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and psychology, as well as politics and law. Tracing our concern with identity to its deep roots in Europe's intellectual history, individualism, and the felt need to draw borderlines, Coulmas identifies the most important features used to mark off individual and collective identities, and demonstrates why they are deemed important. He concludes with a glimpse at the many ways in which literature has engaged with problems of identity throughout history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

An Introduction to Multilingualism

Author : Florian Coulmas
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198791100
Total Pages : 341 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis An Introduction to Multilingualism by : Florian Coulmas

Download or read book An Introduction to Multilingualism written by Florian Coulmas and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context. The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.

A Short Introduction to the Study of Language

Author : Ellen Thompson
Publisher : Equinox Publishing (UK)
ISBN 13 : 9781781797730
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (977 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Short Introduction to the Study of Language by : Ellen Thompson

Download or read book A Short Introduction to the Study of Language written by Ellen Thompson and published by Equinox Publishing (UK). This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: provides an accessible and up-to-date invitation to key concepts of modern language study.

Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction

Author : A. C. Grayling
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191540382
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (915 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction by : A. C. Grayling

Download or read book Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction written by A. C. Grayling and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2001-02-22 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original philospher, whose influence on twentieth-century thinking goes well beyond philosophy itself. In this book, which aims to make Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general non-specialist reader, A. C. Grayling explains the nature and impact of Wittgenstein's views. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Multilingualism

Author : John C. Maher
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198724993
Total Pages : 169 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Multilingualism by : John C. Maher

Download or read book Multilingualism written by John C. Maher and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John C. Maher explains why societies everywhere have become more multilingual, despite the disappearance of hundreds of the world languages. He considers our notion of language as national or cultural identities, and discusses why nations cluster and survive around particular languages even as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood.

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language

Author : Michael Morris
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1139459805
Total Pages : 8 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (394 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language by : Michael Morris

Download or read book An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language written by Michael Morris and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-12-14 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this textbook, Michael Morris offers a critical introduction to the central issues of the philosophy of language. Each chapter focusses on one or two texts which have had a seminal influence on work in the subject, and uses these as a way of approaching both the central topics and the various traditions of dealing with them. Texts include classic writings by Frege, Russell, Kripke, Quine, Davidson, Austin, Grice and Wittgenstein. Theoretical jargon is kept to a minimum and is fully explained whenever it is introduced. The range of topics covered includes sense and reference, definite descriptions, proper names, natural-kind terms, de re and de dicto necessity, propositional attitudes, truth-theoretical approaches to meaning, radical interpretation, indeterminacy of translation, speech acts, intentional theories of meaning, and scepticism about meaning. The book will be invaluable to students and to all readers who are interested in the nature of linguistic meaning.