FOUNDATIONS OF LINGUISTICS
A Complete, Example-Rich Introduction to Language
The book begins with language and linguistics and then develops the major levels of linguistic analysis. Phonetics examines the physical production and perception of speech sounds. Phonology examines how sounds form a system, including phonemes, allophones, syllables, stress, intonation, phonotactics, and connected-speech processes. Morphology examines the internal structure of words and the processes through which words are formed.
Syntax introduces constituent structure and explains how words form noun phrases, verb phrases, prepositional phrases, clauses, and sentences. Semantics examines linguistic meaning and relationships among meanings. Pragmatics examines how context, intention, shared knowledge, and inference contribute to interpretation. Later chapters extend the study to discourse, first and second language acquisition, language variation, language change, and linguistic research.
The aim is to make terminology accessible without making analysis superficial. Students are encouraged to ask three questions whenever they meet a new concept: What does the term mean? What evidence in the example demonstrates it? How can the same principle be applied to new language data?
I hope this book will serve undergraduate students, teachers, trainee teachers, and independent learners who want a clear and practical foundation in linguistics. Above all, I hope it encourages readers to observe language carefully and to discover that everyday speech, writing, and interaction provide rich evidence for linguistic analysis.
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