Bilingual Speech: A Typology of Code-Mixing

"Bilingual speech makes an important contribution to the field of language contact....This is an obligatory reference for those working in the field of language contact from a grammatical persrpective. It is a clear point of departure that future researchers cannot ignore if they seek to give a comprehensive explanation of the code-mixing facts that Muysken presents in his book." Language in Society

Book Description

This book provides an indepth analysis of the different ways in which bilingual speakers switch from one language to another in the course of conversation. Pieter Muysken identifies three distinct patterns of mixing and explores how different mixing strategies depend on the contrasting grammatical properties of the languages involved, the degree of bilingual competence of the speaker and various social factors. The book synthesises a vast array of recent research in a rapidly growing field of study which has much to reveal about the structure and function of language.

Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History

Now more than ever, Islam and Islamic culture is a topic that is as misunderstood as it is fascinating. In this exquisite oversized volume spanning 1200 years of history, celebrated scholar Professor Nasser D. Khalili presents a benchmark visual history of the peoples, the cultures, and the artworks that have defined the Islamic world. From Spain to Indonesia, North Africa to China, more than fifty of the
world’s nations are of the Muslim faith. The material culture of the Muslim people is accordingly rich and varied, ranging from taking in architectural projects on a huge scale and minutely detailed miniature paintings, exquisitely patterned silk textiles and bold yet sophisticated calligraphy.

Written histories of the art of the Islamic lands have until now either been very general or highly focused on particular regions or types of artifacts. Now the spectacular format of Islamic Art and Culture provides the reader to view the magnificent sweep of the arts of Islam in a unique and accessible way. Diverse developments throughout the Islamic world are compared simultaneously across time and place, and specific objects and buildings seen in the light of key events in Muslim history. From calligraphy to carpets, armor to architecture, this book voluptuously reveals the immense heritage handed down through Islamic artists over the centuries, and examines their relationship to their Western peers.

Language and Society (Cambridge Approaches to Linguistics)

Review
"Downes's Language and Society is the clearest and most reliable introduction to the field of sociolinguistics available today." William Labov, University of Pennsylvania

"Of textbooks on the market, Downes's is arguably the best, providing the most thorough overview of the subject." Language

Product Description
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Downes' textbook is an accessible introduction to the social aspects of language and their various explanations. Topics covered include domains of language use, language change, code-switching, speech as social action, and the nature of meaning and understanding. This new edition includes an up-to-date analysis of language standardization, language conflict and planning.

Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century

This textbook furnishes a comprehensive survey of current language issues in the U.S., exploring the nature of language variation in the United States and its social, historical and political significance. The book is divided into three sections: Part I, American English; Part II, Other Language Varieties; and Part III, The Sociolinguistic Situation in the U.S.A.

Review
'the publishers have rightly decided that a completely new book is in order to illustrate recent findings and new foci of the "21st century". ... Finegan provides a useful survey, ... and recent atlases, which includes an intelligent use of maps. The chapter interestingly shows that very different methods of data collection and analysis over the years have generally confirmed the findings of the earlier studies.' Anglia

An Introduction to Sociolinguistics by Janet Holmes (Author)

What is sociolinguistics? This introductory textbook provides a penetrating answer to this question, explaining basic sociolinguistic concepts through a wide range of examples, and by drawing on 'classic' approaches to the subject as well as from the most recent research. The book is conveniently divided into three sections: * Section one shows how language is used in multilingual speech communities and explains the varying patterns of language use. Janet Holmes examines how and why languages change within society and highlights the factors that lead to the displacement of one language by another and sometimes the death of a language. * Section two explores social reasons for language change, looking at language change in monolingual communities and the features of a variety of dialects. The author shows how and why differing racial and social groups develop and maintain speech variations. * The final section assesses how attitudes to language affect speech and shows that linguistic responses depend on a variety of contextual factors - for example, the status of the person being addressed and our reasons for speaking. This new edition has been updated thoroughly throughout, and adds new sections on social constructionist approaches to language and gender, and the concept of community of practice. There is also a completely new chapter on language, cognition and culture, which introduces students to the ideas of Benjamin Lee Whorf, as well as to the wider implications of the important concept of linguistic relativity. Containing a series of student exercises and suggestions for further reading, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics is an essential introductory text for students of sociolinguistics and anyone interested in the study of language.