Everyday Linguistics: An Introduction to the Study of Language

This innovative introduction to linguistics connects language structure to everyday use, culture, and context, making the technicalities of language structure accessible, vivid, and engaging.

The first text to take a socially realistic linguistics approach, this exciting new textbook situates discussions about the building blocks of language like phonetics, syntax, and pragmatics within a social justice framework that recognizes that all language is shaped by sociocultural forces and reveals and reinforces ideologies. Uniquely, this text also introduces ecolinguistics, a new field that examines the relationship between language and its environment, again demonstrating how widely held views about language can have real-world consequences. Key features include:

• "Linguistics in your world" sections to connect concepts discussed with specific social issues
• "L1 acquisition in focus" sections to relate key concepts to first language acquisition
• "Explorations" sections at the end of each chapter to encourage students to test their knowledge, discuss in groups, and apply what they have learned to their own experiences
• End-of-chapter summaries and key term lists to conclude the main lessons and highlights of each chapter
• Recommendations for further reading

Everyday Linguistics: An Introduction to the Study of Language is an ideal starting point for students that are new to the study of language, and those not majoring in language study.

Joanne Cavallaro is a professor emerita of English at St. Catherine University, Minnesota, U.S.A., where she has taught linguistics for 30 years.