Exploring Linguistic Science

Exploring Linguistic Science introduces students to the basic principles of complexity theory and then applies these principles to the scientific study of language. It demonstrates how, at every level of linguistic study, we find evidence of language as a complex system. Designed for undergraduate courses in language and linguistics, this essential textbook brings cutting-edge concepts to bear on the traditional components of general introductions to the study of language, such as phonetics, morphology and grammar. The authors maintain a narrative thread throughout the book of 'interaction and emergence', both of which are key terms from the study of complex systems, a new science currently useful in physics, genetics, evolutionary biology, and economics, but also a perfect fit for the humanities. The application of complexity to language highlights the fact that language is an ever-changing, ever-varied product of human behavior.

The first introductory text on linguistics to include a complexity perspective on language
Lessons are based on real classroom experience that encourages students to think, discuss and explore
Fosters a dialogue between different perspectives on the study of language that encourages students think critically and independently

Reviews & endorsements

'This lucid book - elegantly written and brimming with memorable examples of both language and complex systems across the sciences - will guide readers through the intellectual adventure of a new science, one that will transform, not only perspectives on language, but also their sense of themselves as linguistic agents.' Michael Adams, Indiana University, Bloomington

'… this introductory book is essential reading for undergraduate students who are new to the field of linguistics and those who wish to get a modern perspective on linguistics as a science. It will also prove valuable for language teachers who wish to demonstrate the relevance of linguistics to the real world.' Xueliang Chen, Language in Society

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Product details

Published: February 2018
Format: Adobe eBook Reader
ISBN: 9781108696258
Length: 0 pages
Contains: 62 b/w illus.
Availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.

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Contents

1. A new science
2. Complex systems in nature and human behavior
3. Complex systems in language
4. Language basics: sounds
5. Sounds: IPA and acoustic phonetics
6. Sounds: atlas evidence
7. Language basics: morphology
8. Morphemes: empirical data
9. Parts of speech
10. Language basics: grammar and discourse
11. Grammar: sentences and construction grammar
12. Cognitive linguistics
13. Language acquisition
14. Language evolution
15. Text type
16. Style
17. Sociolinguistics
18. Big data: using a corpus
19. Historical linguistics
20. Conclusion: the future of interaction and emergence.

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Authors

Allison Burkette , University of Mississippi
Allison Burkette is Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Mississippi. Her publications include a number of case studies that employ Linguistic Atlas Project data, including 'The Story of Chester Drawers' (2001), 'Stamped Indian: Localism and Lexical Variation in Terms for American 'Cornbread'' (2011), and 'Parlor Talk: Complexity from a Historical Perspective' (2013). She is author of Language and Material Culture (2015).
William A. Kretzschmar Jr. , University of Georgia
Bill Kretzschmar is the Harry and Jane Willson Professor in Humanities at the University of Georgia. He is Editor of the American Linguistic Atlas Project, the oldest and largest national research project to survey how people speak differently across the Americas. His The Linguistics of Speech (2009) and Language and Complex Systems (2015) have pioneered the study of complex systems in language.

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