Linguistics

Oxford Introductions to Language Study

by H.G. Widdowson

This is an introduction to linguistics, the study of human language. The author provides a succinct but lucid outline of the ways in which language has been defined, described, and explored, and guides readers towards further exploration of their own.

Genres: Linguistics, Language, School, Nonfiction, Theory

Paperback

First published June 6, 1996

About the author

Professor Henry Widdowson is an internationally acclaimed authority in applied linguistics and language teaching. His many books, articles, and lectures have been seminal in establishing both the field of applied linguistics and its mode of enquiry.

For many years he was the Applied Linguistics adviser to Oxford University Press. He was the co-editor of Language Teaching: A Scheme for Teacher Education and the series editor of Oxford Introductions to Language Study and the author of Linguistics in the same series. He is series adviser of Oxford Bookworms Collection.

His latest work, Defining Issues in English Language Teaching, appears in the Oxford Applied Linguistics series alongside several other of his titles, including Teaching Language as Communication, Practical Stylistics, Learning Purpose and Language Use, and Explorations in Applied Linguistics 1 and 2.

Professor Henry Widdowson is Emeritus Professor of Education, University of London, and has also been Professor of Applied Linguistics at Essex University and Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Vienna.

'[Widdowson is] a theorist of language and language teaching. His extensive writings have addressed the most significant areas in the field.'

'Widdowson consistently defends clear-thinking and clear presentation of ideas. For international ESOL, he has probably been the most influential philosopher of the late twentieth century.'

Christopher Brumfit, Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning

Reviews

[Justpassingby]

The book consists of two parts: a short but rather abstract review of the subject, trying to explain at least the basic terminology and how it relates to different views on what language and linguistics really are. The second part consists of annotated excerpts from essays by experts in the field, made more interesting than the original essays (to a casual reader like myself) because the annotations relate the essay to the general concepts from the introduction as well as to other essays quoted.

It is an interesting formula that I would like to see applied to other sciences.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tact,adequate and yet as the author himself said in the introduction; makes it more accessible to others rather than simplifying it and I think for such a complicated subject is it rather a fair thing to do.

While overall I enjoyed the book; the beginning part was a little confusing to me ,however as I continued it was resolved in the later chapters.
The list of recommended readings in the end is brilliant and so carefully chosen I think the author has done a great job.

[Jan Oko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, although quite challenging as an introduction to linguistics.

[Simo · Rating 5 out of 5]

God

[Mimi Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book

[Kawa Svaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Survey is lucid; the Readings challenging.

[Hanhas]

Read