This volume aims to provide a broad view of second language acquisition, from initial to final stages. It does this within a comparative perspective that addresses results concerning adult and child learners across a variety of source and target languages, in order to assess the relative weight of cognitive and typological determinants during language learning.
In the era of information technology, the need to communicate data effetively and precisely has given a boost to research in terminology. This collection of 14 articles by experts from different backgrounds deals with linguistic problems and technical aspects of terminology; in addition, there are articles relating to terminology in specific subject fields -- lexicography, physical sciences, chemistry, social sciences and medicine. By presenting various approaches and applications, the volume raises fundamental questions about the use of concepts and the ordering of knowledge.
An Introduction to Psycholinguistics examines the psychology of language as it relates to learning, mind and brain as well as to aspects of society and culture. How do we learn to speak and to understand speech? Is language unique to humans? Does language influence culture? Using non-technical language, and providing concrete examples, the authors explore: How children learn to speak and read their native language; Deaf language education; Case studies of wild children and animals and what we can learn from these; Second language acquisition, second language teaching methods, and the problems associated with bilingualism; Language and the brain; The relationship between thought and language.
"Code-switching," or the alternation of languages by bilinguals, has attracted an enormous amount of attention from researchers. However, most research has focused on spoken language, and the resultant theoretical frameworks have been based on spoken code-switching. This volume presents a collection of new work on the alternation of languages in written form.
Written language alternation has existed since ancient times. It is present today in a great deal of traditional media, and also exists in newer, less regulated forms such as email, SMS messages, and blogs.
Language documentation, also often called documentary linguistics, is a relatively new subfield in linguistics which has emerged in part as a response to the pressing need for collecting, describing, and archiving material on the increasing number of endangered languages. The present book details the most recent developments in this rapidly developing field with papers written by linguists primarily based in academic institutions in North America, although many conduct their fieldwork elsewhere. The articles in this volume — position papers and case studies — focus on some of the most critical issues in the field.
