Synopsis
'Highly original and convincing ... a delight to read!' - Daniel Everett
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is language? Why do we have it? Where does it come from? Why does that matter?
Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing capacity - and one that remains poorly understood. Upending centuries of scholarship (including, most recently, Chomsky and Pinker) The Language Game shows how people learn to talk not by acquiring fixed meanings and rules, but by picking up, reusing, and recombining countless linguistic fragments in novel ways.
Drawing on entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world the book explains:
· How our short-lived memory copes with the on-rushing deluge of sound that is everyday speech.
· Why it is that language is such a challenge for language scientists but learnt effortlessly by toddlers.
· Why the languages of the world are so spectacularly varied---and why no two people speak quite the same language.
· Why humans have language, but chimps don't.
· How language gave us a big brain and changed the course of evolution.
· How language doesn't limit, but does shape, how we think.
·And ultimately, why what we have come to understand about how language works, gives us greater hope for our future.
Forget the language instinct - this is the story of how we make up language as we go.
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The Language Game (Paperback)
Published by
Transworld Publishers Ltd, London, 2022
ISBN 10: 1787633497
ISBN 13: 9781787633490
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Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The Language Game overturns established thought, showing how our language derives from the chaos of improvisation rather than from a built-in grammar or language instinct Drawing on wonderfully entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world it explains how culture has evolved, and what this means in a future of globalization, fake news and AI.'Marvellously clear. playfully persuasive' Richard Dawkins'Full of Fascinating details. A delight to read.' Tim Harford'Highly original and convincing . a delight to read!' - Daniel Everett-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is language?Why do we have it?Why does that matter?Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing accomplishment and one that remains poorly understood.Upending centuries of scholarship (including, most recently, Chomsky and Pinker) The Language Game shows how people learn to talk not by acquiring fixed meanings and rules, but by picking up, reusing, and recombining countless linguistic fragments in novel ways.Drawing on entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world the book explains-How our short-lived memory copes with the on-rushing deluge of sound that is everyday speech.Why it is that language is such a challenge for language scientists but learnt effortlessly by toddlers.Why the languages of the world are so spectacularly varied---and why no two people speak quite the same language.Why humans have language, but chimps don't.How language gave us a big brain and changed the course of evolution.How language doesn't limit, but does shape, how we think.And ultimately, why all we know about language should give us hope.Christiansen and Chater's The Language Game draws on a fascinating range of examples to show the way language works, has shaped our evolution and is critical to our future. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781787633490
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The Language Game
Published by
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ISBN 10: 1787633497
ISBN 13: 9781787633490
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Softcover. Condition: Fine. Abnutzung / Risse - leicht; Gebrochener Buchrücken / Seiten oder Softcover umgeknickt; Vergilbt / ausgeblichen. Consider the game of charades, where players must convey ideas without speaking, navigating diverse styles and backgrounds. As participants engage, a unique lingo emerges, transforming simple gestures into complex representations of concepts like exploration or trade. This dynamic illustrates not only human intelligence but also our innate desire to connect and communicate. In this exploration, cognitive scientists Nick Chater and Morten Christiansen reveal that such games illuminate the origins and mechanics of language, one of humanity's most remarkable traits yet least understood. Contrary to the belief that language is hardwired in the brain through strict rules, they argue that it thrives on freedom, limited only by our imagination and the need for understanding. This perspective leads to fresh insights into longstanding questions, such as why chimpanzees struggle with pointing, the impact of multiple words for colors on perception, the challenges of learning different languages, the evolution of word meanings, and the potential for computers to grasp human language. This work will captivate readers of classic texts on mind and language, offering engagement and delight akin to the game of charades itself, promising to intrigue and inspire for years. Seller Inventory # f5e71ca0-f390-4ca3-a3ed-90da969de4a7
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The Language Game (Paperback)
Published by
Transworld Publishers Ltd, London, 2022
ISBN 10: 1787633497
ISBN 13: 9781787633490
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The Language Game overturns established thought, showing how our language derives from the chaos of improvisation rather than from a built-in grammar or language instinct Drawing on wonderfully entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world it explains how culture has evolved, and what this means in a future of globalization, fake news and AI.'Marvellously clear. playfully persuasive' Richard Dawkins'Full of Fascinating details. A delight to read.' Tim Harford'Highly original and convincing . a delight to read!' - Daniel Everett-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is language?Why do we have it?Why does that matter?Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing accomplishment and one that remains poorly understood.Upending centuries of scholarship (including, most recently, Chomsky and Pinker) The Language Game shows how people learn to talk not by acquiring fixed meanings and rules, but by picking up, reusing, and recombining countless linguistic fragments in novel ways.Drawing on entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world the book explains-How our short-lived memory copes with the on-rushing deluge of sound that is everyday speech.Why it is that language is such a challenge for language scientists but learnt effortlessly by toddlers.Why the languages of the world are so spectacularly varied---and why no two people speak quite the same language.Why humans have language, but chimps don't.How language gave us a big brain and changed the course of evolution.How language doesn't limit, but does shape, how we think.And ultimately, why all we know about language should give us hope.Christiansen and Chater's The Language Game draws on a fascinating range of examples to show the way language works, has shaped our evolution and is critical to our future. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781787633490
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The Language Game (Paperback)
Published by
Transworld Publishers Ltd, London, 2022
ISBN 10: 1787633497
ISBN 13: 9781787633490
New
Paperback
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Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The Language Game overturns established thought, showing how our language derives from the chaos of improvisation rather than from a built-in grammar or language instinct Drawing on wonderfully entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world it explains how culture has evolved, and what this means in a future of globalization, fake news and AI.'Marvellously clear. playfully persuasive' Richard Dawkins'Full of Fascinating details. A delight to read.' Tim Harford'Highly original and convincing . a delight to read!' - Daniel Everett-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is language?Why do we have it?Why does that matter?Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing accomplishment and one that remains poorly understood.Upending centuries of scholarship (including, most recently, Chomsky and Pinker) The Language Game shows how people learn to talk not by acquiring fixed meanings and rules, but by picking up, reusing, and recombining countless linguistic fragments in novel ways.Drawing on entertaining and persuasive examples from across the world the book explains-How our short-lived memory copes with the on-rushing deluge of sound that is everyday speech.Why it is that language is such a challenge for language scientists but learnt effortlessly by toddlers.Why the languages of the world are so spectacularly varied---and why no two people speak quite the same language.Why humans have language, but chimps don't.How language gave us a big brain and changed the course of evolution.How language doesn't limit, but does shape, how we think.And ultimately, why all we know about language should give us hope.Christiansen and Chater's The Language Game draws on a fascinating range of examples to show the way language works, has shaped our evolution and is critical to our future. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781787633490
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The Language Game : How improvisation created language and changed the world
Published by
Transworld Publ. Ltd UK, 2022
ISBN 10: 1787633497
ISBN 13: 9781787633490
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Condition: Hervorragend. Zustand: Hervorragend | Seiten: 349 | Sprache: Englisch | Produktart: Bücher | Keine Beschreibung verfügbar. Seller Inventory # 38248150/1
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