Thinking about Language Theories of English

Thinking about Language encourages students to begin thinking about ways of seeing language and introduces past debates and current disputes on the way that human language works. The second half of the book explores some of the specific questions addressed by theorists, and the implications of different types of linguistic theory for the answers they have suggested. Chapman offers a balance between theory and application and provides an interesting and accessible introduction to the history of linguistic theory, the variety of different theoretical approaches to language study, and to the current state of the subject.

Siobhan Chapman is Lecturer in English Language at the University of Liverpool.

Introduction * PART 1: INTRODUCING LANGUAGE THEORY * Theory in Language Study * Language as a Type of Behaviour * Language as a State of Mind * Language as Communication * PART II: APPLYING LANGUAGE THEORY * How Do Words Work? * How Does Language Describe the World? * Is Language a System of Signs? * What Is the Relationship between Language and Thought? * How Does Context Affect Meaning? * What Does It Mean to Say That Language Has Structure? * How Do Children Learn Language? * A Final Thought: Do Other Animals Have Language? * Glossary * General Bibliography * Index