English is the most widely spoken language and has subsequently attained the status of lingua franca or bridge language. This book studies, analyses and upholds the pillars of English language and literature and its utmost significance in modern times. It compiles some path- breaking literary reviews, discussions and studies on English language. It provides comprehensive insights into the field of English language and literature and will be ideal for students and academicians pursuing this field.
Discussing contemporary perspectives and new developments in the field of English language studies has gained ascendancy in view of the fact that such concerns about learning and teaching English make important contributions to society. Such discussions are of critical importance in today’s globalised societies and more needs to be done towards collaboratively presenting the growing wealth of quality research in linguistics and literature. Linguists and scholars continue to champion the need to interrogate the discourse of literary and language texts using a number of critical frameworks that help sensitise readers to the ideological nature of literary discourse and the ways in which certain dominant ideas of nation, race, ethnicity and gender are ratified or challenged. Readers need to be constantly challenged to think, interpret and evaluate differing views and perspectives. The collection of chapters in this book explores contemporary issues and perspectives in linguistics and literature among educators and researchers whose primary focus is to examine the manner in which English is used for various educational purposes from traditional curriculum demands to answering broader questions about human knowledge, global citizenship and social engagement.
Grounded in linguistic research and argumentation, THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: FROM SOUND TO SE01 General/tradeE offers readers who have little or no analytic understanding of English a thorough treatment of the various components of the language. Its goal is to help readers become independent language analysts capable of critically evaluating claims about the language and the people who use it.
Doll draws relationships among the ideas advanced in chaos theory, Piagetian epistemology, cognitive theory, and the work of Dewey and Whitehead. In this book on the post-modern perspective on the curriculum, the author asserts that the post-modern model of organic change is not necessarily linear, uniform, measured and determined, but is one of emergence and growth, made possible by interaction, transaction, disequilibrium and consequent equilibrium. Transformation, not a set course, the book argues, should be the rule, and open-endedness is an essential feature of the post-modern framework. In the book, the author envisages a curriculum in which the teacher's role is not causal, but transformative. The curriculum is not the race course, but the journey itself; metaphors can be more useful than logic in generating dialogue in the community; and educative purpose, planning and evaluation is flexible and focused on process, not product. “Scholarly, yet direct and to the point, [Doll’s] ideas make sense to front line educators in the real world of today’s schools.” —Kenneth Graham, Seaford Union Free School District
This collection of essays highlights the great variety one finds in contemporary scholarly discourse in the fields of English and American studies and English linguistics in a broad and inclusive way. It is divided into thematically structured sections, the first two of which examine the motif of travelling and images of recollection in literary works, while the third and the fourth parts deal with male and female voices in narratives. Another chapter discusses visual and textual representations of history. The last two subsections focus on the rhetorical and theoretical questions of language. The pluralism of themes indicated in the book’s title can thus be regarded not as a limitation, but, rather, as evidence of its potential.
The proposed book is best described as a linguistically oriented textbook taking the grammar of English as its subject matter. It is directed to professional teachers of English (ESL and EFL) and their students, as well as those currently training to become teachers of English. The book is also likely to be of interest to interpreters, translators and other English language professionals. It will explore selected aspects and problem areas of English from a broadly “functional” linguistic perspective. My experience as a teacher and teacher trainer has shown me that this perspective has the potential to inspire teachers and students with a genuine enthusiasm for the grammatical features of English and that it often enables them to “make sense” of the grammar in a way that all too often other approaches signally fail to do. An important focus of the book is on understanding grammar as a series of conventionalized patterns rather than a set of rules (which is how grammar has traditionally been presented). Moreover, unlike many other grammar books, this book emphasizes how the grammatical constructions under consideration are employed in various types of communicative situation, attention being given to the importance of discourse context in interpreting the target forms. In line with contemporary linguists generally, the approach adopted is descriptive rather than prescriptive. While the main focus is on English, I offer occasional comments on how the issue under discussion is expressed in languages other than English. Apart from the inherent interest which I hope such comparisons may have for the reader, I take the view that these can be helpful in casting further light on the grammar of English.
Classic and Contemporary Perspectives in Social Psychology illuminates the dynamic linkages among social organization, interaction processes, attitudes, and the self. It exposes students to the broad range of topics of interest to social psychologists and to the diverse methods that they use. Bringing together a wide variety of captivating classic and contemporary selections, this anthology includes work from a symbolic interactionist perspective as well as studies informed by expectation states theory, experimental social psychology, and life course sociology. The selections address the social psychological underpinnings and outcomes of group dynamics, social stratification, bureaucracy, deviant behavior, globalization, and technological change. The reader's innovative structure allows students to experience the foundational work of influential sociologists and psychologists through the lens of cutting-edge issues. This groundbreaking collection features brief excerpts from the classic literature of social psychology (by Emory Bogardus, Melvin Kohn, Stanley Milgram, Muzafer Sherif, Philip Zimbardo, and others). These texts are paired with explanatory comments by the editors and contemporary writings that show the earlier studies' relevance to contemporary social issues. Classic and Contemporary Perspectives in Social Psychology is enhanced by several pedagogical features, including introductory comments that highlight the connections between the classic and contemporary selections, highly engaging discussion questions for each article and unit, and a wide variety of supplemental resources (readings, websites, films, and radio programs). It is ideal for both undergraduate and graduate courses in social psychology.
This book offers contemporary perspectives on English pronunciation teaching and research in the context of increasing multilingualism and English as an international language. It reviews current theory and practice in pronunciation pedagogy, language learning, language assessment, and technological developments, and presents an expanded view of pronunciation in communication, education, and employment. Its eight chapters provide a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of pronunciation and the linguistic and social functions it fulfils. Topics include pronunciation in first and second language acquisition; instructional approaches and factors impacting teachers’ curriculum decisions; methods for assessing pronunciation; the use of technology for pronunciation teaching, learning, and testing; pronunciation issues of teachers who are second-language speakers; and applications of pronunciation research and pedagogy in L1 literacy and speech therapy, forensic linguistics, and health, workplace, and political communication. The chapters also critically examine the research base supporting specific teaching approaches and identify research gaps in need of further investigation. This rigorous work will provide an invaluable resource for teachers and teacher educators; in addition to researchers in the fields of applied linguistics, phonology and communication.
Mencius (also known as Meng Zi, Meng Ke, circa 372-289 BC) was the most prominent Confucian after Confucius, whose teachings were fundamental to Chinese culture for millennia. The book Mencius documented Mencius's conversations with his disciples and other relevant characters and highlighted his philosophy. This book provides a new translation of Mencius in plain and colloquial English, thorough annotations, in-depth commentaries to explain the Confucian philosophy, and modern perspectives of Mencius's ideas. The reader will find this book highly comprehensible, inspirational, and enjoyable to read. This eBook also includes the ancient text in traditional Chinese.
