Understanding Language is the second edition of this introduction to linguistics aimed at all students who are new to the subject. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of the key areas of linguistics, yet explains these in an easy to understand, jargon-free way. Pictures, diagrams, tables and suggestions for further reading together with Grace Winkler's witty prose make this an accessible, student friendly guide which should enable students to navigate this often complicated area of study. Topics covered include: language acquisition speech sounds the make-up of words grammar meaning communication the history of English language variation and change language and technology. This is an essential introduction for any student taking linguistics at university, whether as their main subject of study, or in conjunction with related fields.

Elizabeth Winkler is Faculty Emeritus at Western Kentucky University, USA.

Part I: Defining and Acquiring Language
1. What Every Native Speaker Secretly Understands
2. Human Language versus Animal Communication
3. Language Acquisition
Part II: Structures of Language
4. Phonetics
5. Morphology: The Structure of Words
6. Grammar
7. The History of English
Part III: Language in Use
8. Semantics: Language and Meaning
9. Pragmatics: Language in Use
10. Electronic-Mediated Communication and its Effects on Language
11. Language Variation and Change
Bibliography
Index