Teach Yourself Linguistics

Rating:
Summary: A good non-technical book
Review: As a high school student with a strong interest in language and lingusitics, I was excited when I found this book. Linguistics had always seemed interesting to me, but I was somewhat intimidated by the scores of linguistic books written in a seemingly technical manner, so I refrained from buying one. I found this book interesting and informative. The author does a good job of covering many aspects of linguistics, including: phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, stylistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, Noam Chomsky, and an appendix on phonetics. Each section, however, is not very long because of the scope of topics covered (ten pages on average is a good estimate). PS, there is also a great bibliography about all topics covered.

I have only a few complaints with this book. First of all, the author states from the start that no anecdotes will be used in the book, and that it is a serious book for seriously interested learners. While I agree that anecdotes in a book of this nature can degrade its quality, I would have liked to see more "physical" examples of the principles the author demonstrates, i.e. examples of the author's teachings in actual languages. Secondly, a glossary would have been helpful. Thirdly, the author spends approximately thirty pages covering the work of Noam Chomsky, the topic I found the most specific and least interesting. I would have liked the book more if some of that depth had been given to the other, more traditional topics of linguistics (e.g. pragmatics, syntax etc.)

All in all, a great starter book on linguistics for inexperienced beginners.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction
Review: I have always loved language, and have been especially interested in foreign languages, so I thought that I might like linguistics. After reading this book I found that I was indeed interested in the area, and now I am considering making it my college major.

The book started out by asking basic questions (What is language?) and describing the topics that comprise linguistics; it then branched out into areas such as sociolinguistics, concluding with an overview of Chomsky's ideas. The clear diagrams were very helpful in explaining the text. At the end, there is a list of suggested titles for further reading, organized by topic.

I was delighted to discover that even things we think we know, such as what one word is, are not always clearly defined. The book is full of interesting information and anecdotes to illustrate points. I learned, for example, that in the Welsh language there is a color which roughly translates to the English "blue," but the color also includes shades of what we call "gray" and "green."

The Chomsky section was a little dry because it was so abstract and lengthy, but overall the book was fascinating. I think that it is much more than a list of terms, as one reviewer asserted. Also, I agree with the reviewer who observed that this books gives readers an idea of what specific areas of linguistics they are most interested in. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in linguistics.

Rating:
Summary: Simple but not dumb
Review: Please note that there is a sixth edition (0340870834)

Aitchison has written a superb book that is both highly informative and easily read. I would highly recommend this for those who are new to the field of linguistics or who are studying it in a second language.

This book is laid out in relation to a pattern of moving from the inner core of linguistics (phonetics and phonology) outwards through syntax, semantics, and pragmatics to the various fields of linguistics research. Chapters on sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the idea of a universal grammar are included but with simple titles such as "Language and Society." The strength of this book lies in its uncomplicated explanations of these fields.

Each chapter includes questions for review that are useful in teaching yourself or for assigning to a class. The end of the book includes a selection of further readings arranged by category which many will find useful.

Rating:
Summary: Not An Introduction To An Introduction
Review: Some universities recommend potential linguistic students to read 'Teach Yourself Linguistics' in order to see if studying this interesting subject is really what they want...

That's pretty astonishing! For the book is not 'an introduction to an introduction' as its foreword states. It is more of an outline, with more deep-cut analysis of whatever the author happens to feel like going deeper into. The book can also serve as a reference on terminology.

But that's all, really...

Furthermore, it is far too theoretical and schematic. The examples are always taken from the same languages and are often very far-fetched.

It is a pity, for the subject does need a basic introduction book, a point to start. The best feature of 'Teach Yourself Linguistics' is that it might serve as an appetizer for what particular branch of linguistics one would want to explore further.

Rating:
Summary: More a survey than an introduction
Review: This book should have been titled an introductory survey rather than an introduction. The author paid way too much attention to some subjects while other were just summarized. With its poor organization, this 250-page book had it's moments but was not succinct enough to serve as a good primer.

Rating:
Summary: A good place to start
Review: This is one of the best non-fiction, technical, non-computer books that I've ever read. I tried reading an introductory linguistics textbook last year and almost suffered an aneurysm as a result! But, this was actually a pleasure to read. It's a really good introduction to the basics of linguistics. It starts out talking about language in general, covers a bit of linguistic history and then digs into the meat of what linguistics is all about. One of the really nice things about this book is that it assumes the reader knows nothing about linguistics. Then, it starts gently building up the reader's vocabulary and basic knowlege of linguistic theory and practice. Most importantly, for me, is that it saved the really complicated topics, like Universal Grammar and Translational Grammar and all things Chomsky, for the last bit of the book. That textbook started out there and just got worse. So, finally, I feel like I have the basics of linguistics down well enough to actually talk about it with someone. And, I think I have a good enough grasp of the basics to start working on a decent conlang.

This book was so good that I looked at Ms. Aitchison's other work. I found another linguistics book that looked interesting, Language Change : Progress or Decay?. It covers historical linguistics, which is of interest to me in relation to conlangs and world building. I have some other books to read first, but I know I'll eventually get around to this one. I hope it's written in the same style as Teach Yourself Linguistics. I'd love to have a book on historical linguistics that's actually readable.