An Introduction to Psycholinguistics

Learning About Language is an exciting and ambitious series of introductions to fundamental topics in language, linguistics and related areas. The books are designed for students of linguistics and those who are studying language as part of a wider course.

An Introduction to Psycholinguistics examines the psychology of language as it relates to learning, mind and brain as well as to aspects of society and culture. How do we learn to speak and to understand speech? Is language unique to humans? Does language influence culture?

Using non-technical language, and providing concrete examples, the authors explore:

• How children learn to speak and read their native language
• Deaf language education
• Case studies of wild children and animals and what we can learn from these
• Second language acquisition, second language teaching methods, and the problems associated with bilingualism
• Language and the brain
• The relationship between thought and language

In this new edition the authors propose a radical new theory of grammar – natural grammar – which unlike other theories can account for both speech comprehension and speech production.

Also taking into account the extensive growth in theory, research and practice, this new edition is an accessible and focused introduction to the key issues and the latest research in the field of psycholinguistics.

Friedrich Ungerer is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Rostock, Germany. Hans-Jörg Schmid is Professor of Modern English Linguistics at the University of Munich, where he has also initiated the Interdisciplinary Centre for Cognitive Language Studies (ICCLS).