The Anthropology of Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

by Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer

Ottenheimer's authoritative yet approachable introduction to the field's methodology, skills, techniques, tools, and applications emphasizes the kinds of questions that anthropologists ask about language and the kinds of questions that intrigue students. The text brings together the key areas of linguistic anthropology, addressing issues of power, race, gender, and class throughout. Further stressing the everyday relevance of the text material, Ottenheimer includes "In the Field" vignettes that draw you in to the chapter material via stories culled from her own and others' experiences, as well as "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross-Language Miscommunication" features that describe real-life applications of text concepts.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, School, Linguistics

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Sigrid]

I find the topic of linguistics fascinating. This book had promise to be one of the better textbooks I've used but, ultimately, ended up being pretty dry and somewhat miserable to read. Ottenheimer really pounds the dead horse with some of her points, going on for paragraphs repeating the same concept in different words. I understand that it's important to repeat information in different ways in order to suit different learners but, after two or three repetitions, it just gets tedious.
Another aspect of the book that completely lost me was the way the author would use other languages to convey a point, but it doesn't help if the student does not know the language in which she is using words from. It simply muddies the lesson.
The last thing that made this book torturous for me is Ottenheimer's use of written explanations of visual concepts. Either put in the visuals or find more concise ways to convey the point.
If none of these things bother you, you'll probably like the textbook just fine.

[Cara Byrne]

A useful text book that provides definitions and rich examples of linguistic anthropology. Perfect for a first year college class on language and culture.

[Briana]

I had to read this for a college class. It was easy to understand and was useful however it lagged in some areas.

[Robyn]

Linguistic Anthro is the "forgotten" subfield of anthropology. This text breaks down the importance of language as an experience that shapes thought and experience with the context of specific cultures. It's also debunks myth and stereotypes of communication and how people utilize it. Overall very interesting. The tex was easy to follow.

[Salvatore]

It is a textbook. But as a textbook it wasn't bad.