Description
| Product ID: | 9781107619753 |
| Product Form: | Paperback / softback |
| Country of Manufacture: | US |
| Title: | The Language Myth |
| Subtitle: | Why Language Is Not an Instinct |
| Authors: | Author: Vyvyan Evans |
| Page Count: | 314 |
| Subjects: | Linguistics, linguistics, Psycholinguistics and cognitive linguistics, Semantics, discourse analysis, stylistics, Psycholinguistics, Semantics, discourse analysis, etc |
| Description: | Select Guide Rating Language is central to our lives, the cultural tool that arguably sets us apart from other species. Some scientists have argued that language is innate, a type of unique human 'instinct' pre-programmed in us from birth. In this book, Evans argues that this received wisdom is, in fact, a myth. Language is central to our lives, the cultural tool that arguably sets us apart from other species. Some scientists have argued that language is innate, a type of unique human ''instinct'' pre-programmed in us from birth. In this book, Vyvyan Evans argues that this received wisdom is, in fact, a myth. Debunking the notion of a language ''instinct'', Evans demonstrates that language is related to other animal forms of communication; that languages exhibit staggering diversity; that we learn our mother tongue drawing on general properties and abilities of the human mind, rather than an inborn ''universal'' grammar; that language is not autonomous but is closely related to other aspects of our mental lives; and that, ultimately, language and the mind reflect and draw upon the way we interact with others in the world. Compellingly written and drawing on cutting-edge research, The Language Myth sets out a forceful alternative to the received wisdom, showing how language and the mind really work. |
| Imprint Name: | Cambridge University Press |
| Publisher Name: | Cambridge University Press |
| Country of Publication: | GB |
| Publishing Date: | 2014-09-22 |
