The Articulate Mammal: Introduction to Psycholinguistics
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Praise for the first edition:
'An excellent and very welcome guide to psycholinguistics ... Highly recommended.' – The Washington Post
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
Requiring no prior knowledge of the subject, this text tackles basic questions central to the study of psycholinguistics, such as whether language is restricted to humans, whether there is biological evidence for innate language activity, how children learn language, and how we understand, plan and produce language. The author investigates these issues with regard to animal communication, child language and the language of adults, and provides references and suggestions for further reading.;The book has been substantially revised, in particular taking account of the considerable changes in Chomsky's recent ideas. As a result, the chapters on grammatical innateness, child language acquisition and speech comprehension have been largely rewritten.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jean Aitcheson has always possessed something of a jocular yet intelligent style, and this book is no exception. Providing a window onto the more complicated aspects of psycholinguistics such as language acquisition, generative grammar and animal communication she manages to present the material in a pleasant and informative work which synthesises the main points in a relevant and detailed manner. I have always admired Aitcheson's proclivity for doing this, and for this book she is to be congratulated.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Jean Aitchison is a Reith lecturer and professor of Language at Oxford University. Unsurprisingly therefore this book is both readable and authoritative.
Where Steven Pinker's 'The Language Instinct' is described as 'dazzling' by a reviewer this book is 'engaging' and 'wonderfully informative'. I agree on both counts.
If you want well argued (though well informed) propaganda, read Pinker. If you want a balanced, academically sound (yet readable) account of how all of us come to command the most mind-bogglingly complex communication system ever devised, read this book.
Where Steven Pinker's 'The Language Instinct' is described as 'dazzling' by a reviewer this book is 'engaging' and 'wonderfully informative'. I agree on both counts.
If you want well argued (though well informed) propaganda, read Pinker. If you want a balanced, academically sound (yet readable) account of how all of us come to command the most mind-bogglingly complex communication system ever devised, read this book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Accessible and delightful introduction to psycholinguistics
5 Jun 2001
Format:Paperback
This book is an accessible and delightful introduction to the field of linguistics. Some of its strong points:
* Good coverage both of the arguments for standard Chomskyan theory, and the experimental evidence that fails to support it * Excellent coverage of child language acquisition * Explanations of important experiments--how they worked, what they showed, and why they mean what they mean
I've used this book successfully in 3 introductory psycholinguistics courses, and have sent a chapter from it to my grandmother to explain what linguistics is. Can't get more accessible than that! At the same time, though, it's useful for anyone who wants to get a handle on the field; it's where I go when I want a refresher.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A good book if I can say so
11 Oct 2005
Format:Paperback
Aitchison does a fine job of surveying the field of psycholinguistics and providing an introduction to the field. As always, she is concise, witty, and apropos. The strength of this book lies in the author's ability to summarise the various theories and evaluate them. I particularly enjoyed her evaluation of Chomsky through the introduction of his grammar to "Jupiter's stick insects."
Jean Aitchison is quickly becoming my favourite linguistics writer for her ability to explain complex linguistics points with ease. Some mammals tend to be more articulate than others; indeed some tend to obfuscate rather than articulate. Aitchison is clearly more articulate than most.
Jean Aitchison is quickly becoming my favourite linguistics writer for her ability to explain complex linguistics points with ease. Some mammals tend to be more articulate than others; indeed some tend to obfuscate rather than articulate. Aitchison is clearly more articulate than most.
A linguists book: A book on language
16 Nov 2010
Format:Hardcover
A linguists book: A book on language
I like this book a lot starting from its introduction. It really addresses the acquisition of language from both cognitive and philosophical perspectives. There are lots of antidotes to think about regarding the question of acquisition of language and other natural phenomena - acts carries out by other animal, but the focus is the development of human language.
As someone in linguistics/TESOL the following idea from Aitchison may be relevant: "Biologically programmed behavior does not develop properly in impoverished or unnatural surroundings" (p. 68). Now think of TESOL settings and the unnatural breakdown of language in English Language classrooms for second language learners. Is it necessary, and/or natural for these learners to be exposed to more grammar than any native speaking individual?
Great book - and a lot more in store for you.
I like this book a lot starting from its introduction. It really addresses the acquisition of language from both cognitive and philosophical perspectives. There are lots of antidotes to think about regarding the question of acquisition of language and other natural phenomena - acts carries out by other animal, but the focus is the development of human language.
As someone in linguistics/TESOL the following idea from Aitchison may be relevant: "Biologically programmed behavior does not develop properly in impoverished or unnatural surroundings" (p. 68). Now think of TESOL settings and the unnatural breakdown of language in English Language classrooms for second language learners. Is it necessary, and/or natural for these learners to be exposed to more grammar than any native speaking individual?
Great book - and a lot more in store for you.
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