内容

目次

Preface; 1. The origins of language; 2. The development of writing; 3.The properties of language; 4. Animals and human language; 5. Thesounds of language; 6. The sound patterns of language; 7. Words andword-formation processes; 8. Morphology; 9. Phrases and sentences:grammar; 10. Syntax; 11. Semantics and pragmatics; 12. Discourseanalysis; 13. Language and machines; 14. Language and the brain; 15.First language acquisition; 16. Second language acquisition/learning;17. Sign language; 18. Language history and change; 19. Languagevarieties; 20. Language, society and culture; Appendix: Suggestedanswers to study questions; References.