Making Sense of Language: Readings in Culture and Communication - Softcover

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9780195336382: Making Sense of Language: Readings in Culture and Communication

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195336380 ISBN 13: 9780195336382

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2008

Most of us use language without giving much thought to the way it works or how it functions differently across cultures; however, the ability to use language is perhaps the most uniquely human of all our characteristics.

Each of the forty-five readings in Making Sense of Language: Readings in Culture and Communication acts as a window--a particular perspective--on language. Chosen for their accessibility, these classic and contemporary selections engage students in thinking about language and how it relates to many aspects of being human.

*A broad range of topics and viewpoints provides the ideal introduction to the study of language and presents instructors with a variety of options for teaching from the text.

*Introductions to each part, thematic unit, and reading offer succinct historical and intellectual context to guide students and help them make connections among the topics and articles.

*Pre- and post-reading questions, suggested activities, lists of key terms, suggested further readings, and a glossary aid students' understanding of the material.

*Alongside canonical works, the volume includes selections on exciting contemporary topics--hip-hop, gossip, and the language of nerds, for example--that are familiar and accessible to students.

About the Editor

Susan Blum is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. She is a cultural and linguistic anthropologist whose research has examined an array of issues in China and the United States.

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About the Author:

Susan Blum is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame.

Review:

"Blum has done an excellent job of including a range of articles featuring classics alongside new research and new queries. It is a superior resource."--Jack C. Shoemaker, Southern Methodist University

"Making Sense of Language displays a breadth and depth I have not seen in similar books on linguistic anthropology. Blum includes influential scholars outside of the field and her introductions really help place each part, each unit, and each article into a larger discussion. I appreciate the guidance provided by the questions, and how well-suited the book is overall to organizing an introductory course in linguistic anthropology."--Sherina Feliciano-Santos, University of South Carolina, Columbia

"Blum has done a remarkable service in identifying readings that are accessible to undergraduate audiences, and in intermixing these successfully with canonical texts in linguistic anthropology. I often recommend this text to colleagues and I'm thrilled that it's now available in a new edition."--Kathryn E. Graber, Indiana University

"I appreciate that Blum has approached the book from the perspective and experience of someone who has worked in four-field anthropology. That shines through in the selection of readings, which collectively cross a range of topical and even disciplinary concerns. Her introductions to each of the sections and the chapters are readable and conversational with a 'voice' that many will be able to relate to. Making Sense of Language simplifies the task of searching for and selecting relevant readings that are interesting--yet rigorous--to include in the course syllabi."--Rosalyn Negr�n, University of Massachusetts, Boston

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