The Linguistics Student's Handbook [Paperback]

Laurie Bauer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195332849 | ISBN-13: 978-0195332841 | Publication Date: June 21, 2007

The book that tells you all the things you felt you were expected to know about linguistics, but were afraid to ask about.
* What do you know about Burushaski and Miwok?
* What's the difference between paradigmatic and syntagmatic?
* What is E-language?
* What is a language?
* Do parentheical and non-restrictive mean the same thing?
* How do you write a bibliographic entry for a work you have not seen?
Every student who has asked these questions needs this book. A compendium of useful things for linguistics students to know, from the IPA chart to Saussurean dichotomies, this book will be the constant companion of anyone undertaking studies of linguistics. Part reference work, part revision guide, and with tables providing summary information on some 280 languages, the book provides a new learning tool as a supplement to the usual textbooks and glossaries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a good idea. It's not written as a textbook but a linguistics manual, full of information about concepts and practices and written in a clear, straightforward language. It contains, for example a mini language-file (for the many languages referred to in textbooks without further explanation); brief notes on central concepts in linguistics; the conventions of writing essays and assignments; technical terms that have two or more uses and a list of online resources for linguists. There is something here for everyone engaged in Linguistics, from first-year undergraduates through final-year undergraduates and post-graduates to teaching staff. I foresee it being a constant companion." --Professor Jim Miller, University of Auckland

About the Author

Laurie Bauer is a Professor of Linguistics at Victoria University in Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195332849
• ISBN-13: 978-0195332841
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,024,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could indeed be useful, but it's got filler and consequently is sold for quite a bit more than it should be, June 19, 2010

By 

Christopher Culver - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Linguistics Student's Handbook (Hardcover)

Laurie Bauer's THE LINGUISTICS STUDENT'S HANDBOOK is a compendium of information for those entering this academic pursuit that traditional textbooks don't explain so clearly. When I entered linguistics, I slowly learnt how to interpret the algebraic representation of sound change laws and syntax trees, how to write bibliographies, and glossing rules as I went along. Bauer presents all these little details in one handy book for the beginning undergraduate. Even I learned some new things here, such as the existence of Dania phonetic symbols and how some IPA symbols have been superseded.

The entire second half of the book is the "Language File", a listing of 280 languages that a student is likely to encounter in linguistics works. Now, this material can be useful in that each entry lists some of the noteworthy typological properties of the language, but I suspect that when many students encounter a language they're not familiar with, they'll be more comfortable just doing a Google search and winding up at Ethnologue or Wikipedia. Sadly, if it weren't for the Language File, than Bauer's work could have been a cheap pamphlet accessible to anyone. As it is, the book has been published at the full rate of a university press. I therefore can't really recommend it except to people who don't really worry about their budgets (and most undergraduates do fret about money).