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Essentials of Linguistics
This Open Educational Resource (OER) brings together Open Access content from around the web and enhances it with dynamic video lectures about the core areas of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics), supplemented with discussion of psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic findings. Essentials of Linguistics is suitable for any beginning learner of linguistics but is primarily aimed at the Canadian learner, focusing on Canadian English for learning phonetic transcription, and discussing the status of Indigenous languages in Canada. Drawing on best practices for instructional design, Essentials of Linguistics is suitable for blended classes, traditional lecture classes, and for self-directed learning. No prior knowledge of linguistics is required.
- GenresLinguisticsNonfiction
456 pages, ebook
13 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Anderson
2 books1 followerCatherine Anderson is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Languages at McMaster University. She earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Anderson conducts research on undergraduate learning and curriculum in linguistics. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her partner and their school-aged twins.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 21, 2022
The material is interesting. But as a book, it’s either poorly put together, or at best unfinished.
Every chapter includes a link to a video. This makes sense if the book started as a collection of recordings of Anderson’s classroom lectures. And given the subject material, it makes perfect sense to include videos. But it quickly becomes apparent that the videos are the preferred way of teaching the material, and the text is an afterthought:
After each video come review exercises, and only then does the text part of the unit appear. This is a transcript of the video. There has been little or no attempt at adapting the transcript to a text medium, since often the video transcript refers to illustrations that appear in the video, but not in the text version.
This is especially painfully obvious in the last chapter, in which Anderson interviews a Mohawk speaker. The text of that chapter includes every hesitation and repetition, every little tic that peppers speech, but that gets edited out of prose.
If this book is intended as a complement to a syllabus or something, it would have been nice to say so in the preface. Currently, as a textbook, it is lacking.
Every chapter includes a link to a video. This makes sense if the book started as a collection of recordings of Anderson’s classroom lectures. And given the subject material, it makes perfect sense to include videos. But it quickly becomes apparent that the videos are the preferred way of teaching the material, and the text is an afterthought:
After each video come review exercises, and only then does the text part of the unit appear. This is a transcript of the video. There has been little or no attempt at adapting the transcript to a text medium, since often the video transcript refers to illustrations that appear in the video, but not in the text version.
This is especially painfully obvious in the last chapter, in which Anderson interviews a Mohawk speaker. The text of that chapter includes every hesitation and repetition, every little tic that peppers speech, but that gets edited out of prose.
If this book is intended as a complement to a syllabus or something, it would have been nice to say so in the preface. Currently, as a textbook, it is lacking.
January 8, 2021
I got frustrated with this book. I think because it's written to a Canadian audience and I'm not super familiar with Canadian accent. English not being my native language and all. So I found most of the examples about phonetics incomprehensible... I feel I need a more general approach to phonetics to really understand what's going on. I'm sure it's great if you happen to be Canadian.
April 20, 2023
Structured. Hybrid. Evocative.
Although for Canadian audience, this is a great introductory book of linguistics. The book explains English language, sometimes Canadian English. It also sheds light on language features used by Indigenous people. I skipped half of them, though.
I also enjoyed when the author elucidated deep knowledge: the syntax theory of X-bar, IPA chart of sounds, structural roles and thematic roles. Multiple studies are also included along with short explanation of them. Theory matters.
4.5 out of 5. If the reader is interested in becoming familiar with basic terms and theories of English linguistics, this is the book.
Although for Canadian audience, this is a great introductory book of linguistics. The book explains English language, sometimes Canadian English. It also sheds light on language features used by Indigenous people. I skipped half of them, though.
I also enjoyed when the author elucidated deep knowledge: the syntax theory of X-bar, IPA chart of sounds, structural roles and thematic roles. Multiple studies are also included along with short explanation of them. Theory matters.
4.5 out of 5. If the reader is interested in becoming familiar with basic terms and theories of English linguistics, this is the book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews