Description

The Social Art is an engagingly written, highly accessible tour through the world of languages. Macaulay uses jokes, anecdotes, quotations, and examples to introduce readers to the full range of current linguistic knowledge, covering in 35 chapters, topics like language acquisition, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, dialects, conversation, narrative, swearing, and many others.

In this revised and expanded second edition, Macaulay brings the book up to date with the last decade of progress in linguistics, adding more American examples, and updating bibliographies. Two new chapters have been added, on theories of language development and on the evolution of language. The Social Art is perfect for general readers and students who want to learn about what it is that linguists do.

Reviews

Review of the previous edition: "To read Ronald Macaulay is to be party to a conversation with a thoroughly knowledgeable friend, in touch with current research, who neither talks down or above one's head, but shares. It is marvelously accessible and informative."--Dell Hymes, University of Virginia

Review of the previous edition: "As familiar and pedestrian as it seems, everyday speech conceals a world of mystery. Macaulay invites the reader to explore this world. ... Whether the topic is nursery rhymes, literature, dialects, rhetoric, or profanity, Macaulay sweeps aside the obvious and uncovers riddles and surprises. ... A delightful introduction to linguistics."--Booklist

Review of the previous edition: "[Macaulay] covers...just about every aspect of language you can imagine...[with] consummate, usually amusing examples of the topic at hand. ... He's a good synthesizer, citing interesting research."--The Los Angeles Times

Product Details

256 pages; 4 line illus.; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-518796-0ISBN10: 0-19-518796-2

About the Author(s)