Basics of Language for Language Learners

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“Peter W. Culicover and Elizabeth V. Hume’s book Basics of Language for Language Learners is a must-read for language teachers as well as language learners. The accessible explanations and examples provide fodder for teacher-facilitated discussions related to the Comparisons Standards in Pre-K through university world language classrooms.” —Deborah W. Robinson, PhD, President, National Council of State Supervisors for Languages

Learning a language involves so much more than just rote memorization of rules. Basics of Language for Language Learners, 2nd edition, by Peter W. Culicover and Elizabeth V. Hume, systematically explores all the aspects of language central to second language learning: the sounds of language, the different grammatical structures, the social functions of communication, and the psychology of language learning and use.

Unlike books specific to one single language, Basics of Language will help students of all languages. Readers will gain insight into the structure and use of their own language and will therefore see more clearly how the language they are learning differs from their first language. Language instructors will find the approach provocative, and the book will stimulate many new and effective ideas for teaching. Both a textbook and a reference work, Basics of Language will enhance the learning experience for anyone taking a foreign language course as well as the do-it-yourself learner.

A new section, “Tools and Strategies for Language Learning,” has been added to this second edition. It comprises three chapters that focus on brain training, memory and using a dictionary. In addition, the section “Thinking Like a Native Speaker” has been substantially updated to include more discussion of errors made by language learners.

Peter W. Culicover is Distinguished University Professor of Linguistics at The Ohio State University. Elizabeth V. Hume is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

 

SECTION I     TOOLS AND STRATEGIES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING

Chapter 1     Language Learning

Chapter 2     Brain Training

Chapter 3     Memory

Chapter 4     Using a Dictionary

 

SECTION II     SOUNDING LIKE A NATIVE SPEAKER

Chapter 5     Foreign Accents

Chapter 6     How to Make a Consonant

Chapter 7     How to Make a Vowel

Chapter 8     Putting Sounds Together

Chapter 9     Common Pronunciation Errors

 

SECTION III     THINKING LIKE A NATIVE SPEAKER

Chapter 10     The Role of Form in Language

Chapter 11     Talking about Things

Chapter 12     Describing Things

Chapter 13     Talking about Events

Chapter 14     Talking about Time

Chapter 15     The Work that Sentences Do

 

SECTION IV     ACTING LIKE A NATIVE SPEAKER

Chapter 16     The Link Between Language and Culture

Chapter 17     Politeness

Chapter 18     Swearing, Insults, and Taboos

Chapter 19     Conclusion

Subject Index

Language Index

Consonants of Standard American English

The International Phonetic Alphabet