Language Exploration and Awareness: A Resource Book for Teachers

Rating:
Summary: A Great Way to Approach Linguistics
Review: First of all, I have the pleasure of being in Dr. Andrews' Principles of Linguistics class. This book is being used as the required text for class and it is simply WONDERFUL. The text is written for students and teachers in such a manner that it is easy to understand and relate to. (Unlike some texts which are written simply for the community of the academic "elite.")

Dr. Andrews takes a wonderful approach to Linguistics, emphasizing the importance of context in any situation to determine what language use is appropriate. Rather than simply telling students that word usage or sentence structure is wrong, this book both analyzes reasons for why these uses may be deemed incorrect and, at the same time, urges teachers to recognize the individuality and expression that can be found in language.

Overall, this book makes studying Linguistics a sheer joy. I can't remember how many teachers pushed correct grammar usage as the primary focus of English classes in high school. This book really tries to step away from that habit and promote a true love of language. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning to study Linguistics, teach English, or simply explore the wonders of our own language!