Invitation to Linguistics

by Richard Hudson

The study of language has come a long way since Samuel Johnson describe himself as 'maker of dictionaries -- harmless drudge'. The emphasis in modern linguistics is on descriptive investigations of the way the world speaks -- and why.
In Invitation to Linguistics , Richard Hudson explains what the subject is, why it appeals, how it works, what issues it confronts and the practical impact it can have on our social and professional lives. He poses puzzles in Latin and Zulu, visits realms of linguistic exotica, delves into deep grammar, unravels the ambiguities of everyday sentences (like 'John took off Mary's coat') and asks how language began, if we can think without it, and if it is unique to humans anyway. He shows how the study of this wide-ranging subject can help society solve its problems of literacy and language learning, facilitate the treatment of speech pathologies, help us use computers more effectively -- and how it can broaden our outlook, wiping out out-dated prejudices against non-standard speech and minority languages.
Wide-ranging, realistic and provoking, this is a book that students thinking of studying lingusitics, or just launched on their courses, will read for enjoyment as well as a combination that makes it ideal, too, for anyone interested in words -- from crossword fanatics to anthropologists.

Genres: Language, Nonfiction, Linguistics

195 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Dominic Neesam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Possibly worth a read if you're wondering whether linguistics is the subject for you. If you've already studied elements of language to a high level, a lot of the information may well not be new to you. The areas about technology and computers are already out of date - I chuckled when Hudson hoped in 1984 that computers would one day be able to perform quick searches into the contents of academic papers! Similarly, progress has since been made in L1 acquisition in terms of the critical-period hypothesis which Hudson didn't refer to. Having said that the chapters dedicated to what linguistics is all about, its core principles, and approaches are valuable.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have skimmed this textbook and concluded that it is just a continuation of my previous studies (with LASSO, the acronym everyone decided upon). I find communication with everyone else here helpful.

You know, for useful needs like "Where's the toilet?" which I could probably tell you in five or eight languages, though the orthography of writing each out beautifully might be difficult before Mandatory Nap Time, which is just about now, 12:15 sharp.

[Riversue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good concise overview of the subject. A little dated.