"An Introduction to English Language" is designed as a coursebook for students and teachers of English and introductory linguistics, which presupposes no prior knowledge of the words, sounds, sentences and meanings of English. Believing that the best way to learn is through listening and doing, the authors have packed this book full of worked examples and exercises drawn from a range of discourses to consolidate the student's knowledge, competence and enjoyment of the subject. The second edition has been substantially revised to incorporate examples of regional and social variation from English-speaking communities worldwide, including Africa, America, Australia, the Caribbean, Asia, New Zealand and the UK. The authors have also graded the exercises so that they gradually increase in difficulty.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Acknowledgements Abbreviations and Symbols The International Phonetic Alphabet Introduction: What is a Language? PART I: WORDS The Form and Function of Words Word Meanings and Vocabularies PART II: SOUNDS Speech Sounds The Phonology of English Syllables and Suprasegmentals PART III: SENTENCES The Structure of Simple Sentences Complex Syntax Answers to Exercises Index

About the Author

KOENRAAD KUIPER is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. - W. SCOTT ALLAN is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Reviews

Review of the first edition: 'A book I would recommend to Departments of English world-wide. Kuiper and Allan's book...deals with the bare bones of English structure - its sound system, its lexicon and its syntactic structure. The book...focuses practically and squarely on the language at hand, and it eschews the obfuscation of current linguistic squabbles and the arcanity of some of those representations. That said, however, it does no disservice whatsoever to the sophistication and findings of modern linguistic science.' - Professor Dennis Preston, Michigan State University