The Anthropology of Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

by Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer, Judith M.S. Pine

THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF AN INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY is an introduction to the field's methodology, skills, techniques, tools and applications that emphasizes questions that anthropologists ask about language and that intrigue students. This authoritative yet approachable fourth edition combines the key areas of linguistic anthropology, addressing issues of power, race, gender and class throughout. Further stressing the everyday relevance of the content, authors Ottenheimer and Pine include "In the Field" vignettes that draw students into the chapter material via stories culled from their own and others' experiences. And "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross-Language Miscommunication" features describe real-life applications of core concepts. A revised companion workbook/reader and robust companion website make a complete, integrated package for your course.

Genres: Linguistics, Anthropology, Language, School, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Reference

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, clearly written textbook.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book (and its companion reader) as a way of reviewing the material I learned as an undergrad majoring in Language Studies. Yes – it’s true – for fun I read linguistic textbooks. Call me a nerd – I’m fine with that.

This book is an excellent overview of the major disciplines in linguistics such as phonetics, syntax, semantics, historical linguistics, etc. all through the lens of anthropology. The author’s voice comes through clearly and the result was that reading it I felt like I was in Professor Ottenheimer’s class and she was one of my favorite profs.

The text is easy to understand and when used in conjunction with the reader, allows one to easily teach oneself the basics of many aspects of linguistics. Since this is an overview of course it’s just the basics, but the reader should come away with a new appreciation of language, its usage, and its study.

[Evan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. It oversimplifies, it is filled with inaccuracy, it makes logical errors on nearly every page, and it is just plain bad. In addition, it is written as if its readers are young children with short attention spans and poor reading skills. Find a different book if you are interested in this subject matter.