Linguistics: A Complete Introduction

by David Hornsby

Written by David Hornsby, who is a current Linguistics lecturer and researcher at the University of Kent, Linguistics: A Complete Introduction is designed to give you everything you need to succeed, all in one place. It covers the key areas that students are expected to be confident in, outlining the basics in clear jargon-free English, and then providing added value features like summaries of key books, and even lists of questions you might be asked in your seminar or exam. The book uses a structure that mirrors many university courses on linguistics - with separate chapters focusing on linguistic thought, syntax, sound systems, morphology, semantics, pragmatics, language acquisition, and much more.

Genres: Linguistics, Language, Nonfiction, Reference

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly organized, informative, and detailed introduction to linguistics, and much of it was overwhelming to me. I should have followed the author's advice in the preface and fished around for more topical and translatable chapters. Still, I think what I gleaned from my first dive into linguistics from this edition will help carry me into my first linguistics class.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book as an introduction to linguistics

[Aki Härmä · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed an update on the basics of linguistics due to a course I was giving and therefore I bought this book. David Hornsby is an academic in the Linguistics dep of the University of Kent. The the book is well-written and entertaining. It is framed as a "Teach Yourself" book with "a breakthrough method for easy learning" (quizzes at the end of each chapter?). The introduction of the history of linguistic and phonetics was good and the basic concepts of the science of language were clearly described. The chapter about Chomsky's theories was a disappointment; I was expecting to learn more about it but I was left with an impression that the authors is also not really a big fan of universal and generative grammars. The main emphasis and most examples were from British and French linguistics but there was a good chapter about variation of language which covered examples from a wider range of languages.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating entry into the field of Linguistics. David Hornsby examines the history of the field and how it developed over time into the way it is now.

For instance, Linguistics holds the spoken word over the written word because spelling conventions take such a long time to catch up.

The book is intended as a companion book while taking a course, but I bought it to satisfy my curiosity.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Jess ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think someone who isn't already familiar with linguistics would enjoy this, as some parts are rather technical.

However, as someone who already has a degree in the subject and who just wanted a refresher, this was a nice & informative read. I do wish there were more syntax trees.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed survey of the field with references for further inquiry. The presentation is clear and straightforward, but it is rather technical.

[Marcus Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this author's writing to be well-organized, thorough, and clear. I'm in America, and the author is British, so it was also interesting to read from his perspective.

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very user friendly. I enjoyed the last chapters, and wanted the information it held, but it felt more like a college essay than a Teach Yourself Book.