Language: The Basics

This is an introduction to language: what it is, how we learn it, how we use it, how it changes and our attitudes towards it. I found that only humans can speak about things that are not here and now, signing is a language that happens to use gestures instead of speech, some questions can't be asked because they are grammatically impossible to construct, children can create a language that their parents can't understand, how one can lose the ability to speak but still understand language and how language can so strongly define identify that it led to the "War of the Aitches". On the lighter side, I learnt not to worry about splitting infinitives and that it is OK to say, "It's me," instead of "It's I!" Unfortunately, I didn't find out why English is English other than the fact that it was and is spoken in England. There is also an occasional over-long list of words (linguists do love words) to prove a point. Trask writes enthusiastically and lightly about language; he means to educate people about the subject and he uses technical jargon sparingly and presents different viewpoints where necessary. Each chapter describes a topic in sufficient detail to intrigue but not bore the reader, and there are numerous references at the end of each chapter for an enthusiast to explore. Kam-Hung Soh, 1 November 2005.

This book is ideal for the layman coming to the study of language for the first time. I sympathize with another reviewer who protested that he wanted something a little less basic, but I was delighted to see that Trask foresaw this and offers a list of recommended reading at the end of each chapter, and then a short list of more in-depth books on the subject at the end of the book.I must admit, I had a few chuckles as I read this book, though linguistics may not at first glance appear to be a likely subject for humour. I laughed more than once because language, perhaps like no other phenomenon, is so widely misunderstood, and discussed and dissected by ignoramuses in a way that defies all common sense (see Harry Blamires' "Guide to Common Errors in English" for a case in point). Trask has a hard time concealing his derision for the self-appointed gatekeepers of the English language (who wouldn't get the time of day from anyone who knew the first thing about linguistics), but does so humorously.Trask has an accessible and pacey style that made reading the entire book in just two or three sittings seem effortless. One really gets a sense for the miracle of human language and its vast complexity. This simple introduction left me wanting more, and I was grateful that Trask pointed me to the right resources for satiating this desire. Yes, it is basic, but it is exactly what is called for for the first-time reader.

This is a survey of modern linguistics aimed at the general reader. It does not assume any familiarity with the subject. It covers its subject nicely, albeit necessarily superficially. I gave it four rather than five stars because, as someone with an amateur interest in linguistics, I found it *too* basic. I really wanted a book taken up about two notches. Is this a fair objection? Absolutely not: it is purely visceral. For someone approaching modern linguistics for the first time this book is ideal.