Question for Pidge ... about Linguistics

[Twiglett]

message withdrawn

Hi Twiglett - I studied Linguistics (many years ago) at Uni and we used books by David Crystal.

I also studied Linguistics at university.

I'd highly recommend The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker as a general introduction to psycho-linguistics (which I found the most interesting aspect of it, along with socio and historical linguistics)

Steven Pinker is a neuro-scientist and has written other related books (and some non-related books), and is generally a very accessible writer. I don't know what a SALT is, but would a book called "why children can't read" be any good?

For an introduction to the subject as a whole, then try Jean Aitchison's Teach Yourself Linguistics .

David Crystal is good for books on basic grammar (but not particularly from a linguistics perspective as I recall). His Ecyclopedia of language is good too.

KS is a linguistician too - she might be able to suggest others. Where did you study, iota?

i did a bit too, remember aitchison (interviewed her a few yrs back, felt in awe) and crystal. wasn't he sociolinguistics? pinker's always a good read (and doesn't he look just like simon rattle??). i met a lovely speech therapist called Lesley Mathieson, who I believe has written great tomes (ie academic texts), but may have written more accessible stuff too.

Hi Twiglett,
don't know anything about books to read (though I've previously read Steven Pinker & enjoyed it), but was struck by the idea of training to be a SALT. Did a bit of internet research, & there looks to be a good postgrad diploma at City University - details here . Hmmm, this has made me think. Now have to work out what to do about my part-time job & dp. Food for thought though.

SenoraPostrophe -I was at Southampton - I read English, Linguistics was a part of the course

twiggy, I can't check this with DD1 right now but one of her housemates, having just done a proper 3-year degree (can't remember what in), is now doing another proper 3-year degree in speech therapy - not a post-grad one.

DD1's degree is in Linguistics; she doesn't want to go into speech therapy (or not atm anyway) and I can't remember now if she said she would also have to do another whole degree if she did want to. (But couldn't afford it as things stand even if she did.)

So this is not very helpful really but just wanted to say that I think things might have changed a bit.

Not to imply that a post-grad degree isn't proper but YKWIM!

Oooh - have never had a thread with my name in the title, how exciting! I'm not a super expert on linguistics - after doing a modern languages degree with some linguistics, I did a one year masters in linguistics, then went off and did a PhD in computer generated speech, so am much more of a speechy person than a language person.

Anyway - as a general, really fun book about language SenoraApostrophe's suggestion of Pinker's "The Language Instinct" can't be beaten in my view. The department I was in was very anti Pinker's theories in some ways, but he writes brilliantly and gives great examples that make you marvel at language. He does totally look like Simon Rattle too! And he wrote a great book on the Mind as well as the language one, but I digress.

Also can second the suggestions of books by David Crystal and Jean Aitchison.

If you're interested in SALT training it might be well worth contacting one of the places that offer a course and asking for an introductory reading list and then reading a few to see if you are still keen.

I'd have to dig around to find any more specific suggestions - it's so long since I read anything I can only remember the fun populist stuff now!

Twiglett - have now just seen JanH's post and she's right, for most people even with a degree the speech therapy training course is another three year degree. If you have a very relevant degree I believe you can shorten the course to two years.

Don't know if there are any part-time or open university type options for training.

ks - linguaroonian, yes. I must get these things right.

So, from hc's link I take it a SALT is a speech and language therapist? I had been wondering...

It is a separate course, but I remember a few of my university colleagues were thinking of going on to study speech therapy. It never really appealed to me at the time, but I've become more interested lately. I'll do an MA one day. When the kids have jobs and can fund me through it, that is.

iota - I would have loved that. I did linguistics with Social Anthropolgy and hated the anthropology part. Then tried to train as an English teacher, but they said I'd have to study more literature (why? people with Eng lit degrees teach language! )

The OU English course use Describing Language by David Graddol which is pretty good

message withdrawn

message withdrawn

I'm in The Language Instinct! (As a baby, not a scientist, alas -- but my father did the research.)

Regrettably, SALT tends to have fairly little overlap with linguistics.

Hi, I've just graduated with a degree in linguistics, and would second The Language Instinct, as it is really interesting and informative but still very readable.

If you go to the web page of any university and look up SALT courses/ linguistics courses/ anything similar, there will probably be reading lists with suggestions for introductory texts.

I have a million reading lists for different disciplines within linguistics, so if you are interested in a certain topic i'd be happy to make copies of the lists and send them to you. Also, I'm still in touch with a couple of my tutors so I could ask them for relevant books if you like?

Hope that helps!

Janh's DD1