This is not an introduction to the subject of linguistic form, but a brief commentary on current views and terminologies. If it is possible to discover any aim common to all linguistic schools, this aim is the reduction, by terminological devices, of the fundamental asymmetry of linguistic systems. If there are phonemes, allophones and phonemic components, then there must also be morphemes, allomorphs and morphemic components. If there is a form and a substance of the expression, then there must also be a form and a substance of the content.
The question of how language emerged is one of the most fascinating and difficult problems in science. In recent years, a strong resurgence of interest in the emergence of language from an evolutionary perspective has been helped by the convergence of approaches, methods, and ideas from several disciplines. The selection of contributions in this volume highlight scenarios of language origin and the prerequisites for a faculty of language based on biological, historical, social, cultural, and paleontological forays into the conditions that brought forth and favored language emergence, augmented by insights from sister disciplines.
The Road to Privatization of Higher Education in China: A New Cultural Revolution?
This book makes both empirical and conceptual contributions to the debate on privatization of higher education in China. Empirically, it aims to fill a gap in our knowledge of privatization of higher education in North China. To this end, Beijing was chosen as a case for analysis, and nine local higher educational institutions were visited. The case study strategy is also complemented by an extensive review of national policies to reveal problems beyond the specific case of Beijing and of national concern.
