In clear, congenial style Barry Blake explains how language works. He describes the make-up of words and how they're built from sounds and signs and put together in phrases and sentences. He examines the dynamics of conversation and the relations between the sound and meaning. He shows how languages help their users connect to each other and to the world, how they vary around the world, why they never stop changing, and that no two people speak a language in the same way. He looks at how language is acquired by infant children, how it relates to thought, and its operations in the brain. He investigates current trends and issues such as the levelling of linguistic class differences and the rise of new secret or in-group languages such as argot and teenspeak. He describes the history of writing from its origins to digital diffusion, and ends by looking at how language might have originated and then evolved among our distant hominid and primate ancestors. Language is crucial to every aspect of our lives whether we're thinking, talking, or dreaming. Barry Blake reveals the wonders that lie beneath the surface of everyday communication, enriching his exposition with a unique blend of anecdote and humour. His engaging guide is for everyone curious about language or who needs to know more about it.

About the Author
Barry Blake has been teaching students about language for almost four decades. He is now Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at La Trobe University. With R. M. W. Dixon he co-edited five volumes of the Handbook of Australian Languages (Benjamins 1979, 1981, 1983; OUP 1991, 2000). His many outstanding books include Case (second edition CUP 2001), Relational Grammar (Routledge 1990), as well as several foundational works on Australian Aboriginal languages.

Reviews
...an attractive, readable introduction to the English Language and a welcome addition to the increasing range of titles which will persuade people that language merits closer scrutiny in its own right. * Tim Connell, The Times Literary Supplement *
This is a textbook and a very good one...an easy, conversational style that makes the highly complex and intricate nature of language seem quite explicable. * Steven Carroll The Age (Melbourne) *
An informative and highly readable overview of basic linguistic ideas and debates. Barry Blake succeeds in making complex concepts accessible to beginning students without talking down to them. If I hadn't retired last year, I'd very likely use the book myself as a text in the undergraduate-level introduction to linguistics. * Frederick J. Newmeyer, University of Washington and University of British Columbia *
A stimulating introduction to linguistics and language study. All About Language is clearly written and contains a wealth of thought-provoking and interesting examples taken from English as well as from other languages, including signing. It has a nicely judged set of topics that cover an enormous range in a short space. * Keith Brown, University of Cambridge *
An informative and highly readable supplement of cognitive science which provides a very good summary of the language topic. * Florian RAser, Jutsus-Liebig University Giessen *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199238408
Author Barry J. Blake
Format Paperback
Page Count 342
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 560g
Dimensions(mm) 245mm * 170mm * 14mm