31.1619, Review: General Linguistics: Myrick, Wolfram (2019)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-31-1619. Thu May 14 2020. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 31.1619, Review: General Linguistics: Myrick, Wolfram (2019)

Moderator: Malgorzata E. Cavar (linguist at linguistlist.org)
Student Moderator: Jeremy Coburn
Managing Editor: Becca Morris
Team: Helen Aristar-Dry, Everett Green, Sarah Robinson, Lauren Perkins, Nils Hjortnaes, Yiwen Zhang, Joshua Sims
Jobs: jobs at linguistlist.org | Conferences: callconf at linguistlist.org | Pubs: pubs at linguistlist.org

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org

Please support the LL editors and operation with a donation at:
           https://funddrive.linguistlist.org/donate/

Editor for this issue: Jeremy Coburn <jecoburn at linguistlist.org>
================================================================


Date: Thu, 14 May 2020 21:42:13
From: Martin Gitterman [mgitterman at gc.cuny.edu]
Subject: The 5 Minute Linguist

 
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=36573117


Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/30/30-2695.html

EDITOR: Caroline  Myrick
EDITOR: Walt  Wolfram
TITLE: The 5 Minute Linguist
SUBTITLE: Bite-sized Essays on Language and Languages
PUBLISHER: Equinox Publishing Ltd
YEAR: 2019

REVIEWER: Martin R. Gitterman, City University of New York

SUMMARY

With the intent of providing non-linguist readers with some understanding of
the broad range of topics subsumed under the heading of Linguistics, the
editors include 66 “bite-sized” chapters organized into 12 sections in this
book. This work is an outgrowth of radio chats (“Talkin’ About Talk”) dating
back to 2005, with this edition of the book containing both new chapters and
revised chapters from earlier editions, all aimed at making the work current. 
It is the stated hope of the editors that the target audience (namely, the
public) will be moved by these “bite-sized” treatments to explore aspects of
linguistics in greater depth. The title of each chapter in the book is phrased
in the form of a question. Biographical statements of contributing authors are
provided as are recommended readings for each of the topics covered. The word
limit constraints make it impractical to refer to each of the 66 chapters in
this Summary,  but reference to four chapters in each of the sections should
provide  readers with a sense of the overall scope of each section. Chapters
chosen for inclusion are not based on any evaluation metric, but are intended
solely to enable readers to gain an awareness of the book’s content and
overall organization.   

In the first section of the book (“What is linguistics?”), the chapters lay
the basic foundation for the material to follow. Paul Chapin  (in “You’re a
linguist? How many languages do you speak?”)  distinguishes “polyglots” from
“linguists” and alludes to the diverse specializations of linguists. G. Tucker
Childs (in “What is the difference between dialects and languages?”) indicates
that the  definitional distinction between the terms “dialects” and
“languages” is a very complex one, also noting that  dialects are equally
valid linguistically. Beyond that, dialects and languages are spoken
concurrently. That is, each time one speaks one is speaking both a dialect and
a language. M. Paul Lewis (in “How many languages are there in the world?”)
points out that a lack of agreement on which varieties should count as
separate languages complicates the task of  specifying the number of languages
in the  world. Notwithstanding that challenge, attempts at quantification have
been made.  Greg Carlson (in “Why is Chomsky such a big deal in linguistics?”)
touches on details of Chomsky’s views dating back to his theory of
transformational-generative grammar. His more recent work on universal grammar
is also addressed.

The second section of the book (“Language structure”) begins with “How are the
sounds of language made?” by Peter Ladefoged wherein readers are presented
with some introductory principles of articulatory phonetics. Reference is
made, for example, to the role of the lips in producing some sounds. Features
such as voicing and aspiration are also touched on.  The role of the
phonetician is described. Dennis R. Preston (in “What is the right way to put
words together?”)  highlights some of the shortcomings of a prescriptivist
approach to language. In “What makes a word ‘real’?,”  Anne Curzan cautions
readers not to look upon dictionaries as absolutely authoritative,
recognizing, of course, that they do have a useful role. Those who compile
dictionaries take their lead from how people are in reality using language.
Caroline Myrick (in “What is grammatical gender?”) explains the notion of
grammatical gender with illustrations from different languages.  Questions
awaiting answers in the domain of grammatical gender assignment are raised. 

In the third section of the book (“Language and communication”), “What happens
if you are raised without language?” by Susan Curtiss emphasizes the
importance of age in the acquisition of language. Lack of exposure to language
during the early childhood years (a rare occurrence, fortunately) will have a
detrimental effect on the capacity to acquire language in subsequent years.
Genie, one widely reported case (about whom Susan Curtiss did extensive
research) was deprived of exposure to language until approximately age 13 and
when exposed to language was unable to develop a functioning grammar. Other
reported cases provide confirming evidence. Robin Queen (in “Can animals
understand us?”) suggests that the ability of animals to comprehend human
language is extremely minimal. In the area of interpreting nonverbal cues,
however, performance by animals is more impressive. Walt Wolfram (in “What is
‘speaking in tongues’?”) provides an example of  “speaking in tongues” (known,
more formally, as “glossolalia”). The use of glossolalia is rather widespread
and has attracted the attention of researchers. Some findings are presented. 
Peter T. Daniels (in “How many kinds of writing system are there?”) provides
an introductory overview of writing systems, emphasizing the multitude of such
systems currently used. Reference is made to a range of languages.  Arika
Okrent and E. M. Rickerson (in “Whatever happened to Esperanto?”) report that
Esperanto, unlike other attempts to design a universal language, has had some
success. Details on current use are presented.  
 
In the fourth section of the book (“Language and thought”),  Lise Menn (in
“Why do linguists study brains?”) points out that only a subset of linguists
are engaged in the study of brains. The chapter presents numerous reasons for
such study, including the importance of neurolinguistic research in clinical
settings. Geoffrey K. Pullum (in “Does our language influence the way we
think?”) argues that language has only a minimal effect on thought. Judith F.
Kroll and Kinsey Bice (in “How does the brain handle multiple languages?”)
discuss current views on language localization in the brain, code-switching
and the cognitive benefits attributed to bilingualism. In “Can you lose
language?” by Daniel Kempler and Mira Goral, it is pointed out that impairment
generally does not entail a complete loss of language. The notion of language
loss is discussed in the context of aphasia, dementia and first language
attrition.

Section Five of the book (“History of language”) includes  “What was the
original language?” by Barry Hilton, in which readers learn that the question
serving as the title of the chapter is really unanswerable. Relevant issues
from historical linguistics are an integral part of the discussion. Allan R.
Bomhard  (in “Do all languages come from the same source?”) introduces the
concept of language families and discusses language reconstruction,
emphasizing that much remains to be discovered about the source of languages.
E. M. Rickerson (in “What language did Adam and Eve speak?”) explains that 
the language spoken by Adam and Eve is unknown to linguists. Speculative
suggestions over the years, not grounded in linguistic theory, are reported.
Joan Bybee (in “Where does grammar come from?”) explains what is meant by
grammar and provides examples of the development of aspects of grammar over
time. 

The sixth section of the book (“Language variation and change”) includes  “Do
languages have to change?” by John McWhorter. Examples of language change in
grammar, words and pronunciation are provided, all central to the discussion
of the undeniable certainty of language change. John M. Lipski  (in “Aren’t
pidgins and creoles just bad English?”) explains the process by which pidgins
and eventually creoles are formed. Central to the chapter is the point that
these are “legitimate languages” which merit the respect granted to other
languages. Leila Monaghan (in “Do Deaf people everywhere use the same sign
language?”) explains that sign languages possess a level of complexity
virtually indistinguishable from that found in spoken languages. Not
surprisingly, colleges in the United States commonly allow students to take
American Sign Language (ASL) to fulfill their language requirement. ASL is
only one of a number of sign languages used in the world. Deborah Cameron (in
“Do men and women talk differently?”) suggests that there are some differences
in talk associated with gender, but argues that beliefs about such differences
are often contrary to fact. 

Section seven of the book (“Language learning”) contains “How do babies learn
their mother tongue?” by Lauren J. Stites, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and
Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek. This chapter addresses the automaticity of language
acquisition. Chronological development of language is discussed with
illustrative examples from different components of language.  Richard Hudson 
(in “How many languages can a person learn?”) asserts that the maximum number
of languages one can learn is unanswerable. While it is clear that individuals
can (and do) readily acquire five or six languages, cases of individuals
knowing well beyond that number have been reported. Steven H. Weinberger (in
“What causes foreign accents?”)  alludes to the phenomenon of
“cross-linguistic influence”  to explain the presence of foreign accents. The
critical period is also an integral part of the discussion. Agnes Bolonyai (in
“What does it mean to be bilingual?”) presents a current definition of
“bilingualism” supported by linguists, contrasting it with a view of
bilingualism once embraced by some, but now considered “outdated” and  lacking
any linguistically justifiable basis of support. 

The eighth section of the book (“Language and society”) includes “What is the
connection between language and society?” by Jon Forrest, a chapter which 
introduces readers to dialect variation, both regional and social. Central to
the discussion is the fact that dialects differ from each other, but they are
equally valid.  Vijay Gambhir (in “How can a country function with more than
one official language?”) reports that countries vary greatly regarding policy
on establishing official languages, with some countries, such as the United
States, having no official language and others. such as India, having many.
The chapter provides a rather detailed overview of the language picture in
India. Paul R. Garrett (in “Why do people fight over language?”) points out
that disputes over language are typically intertwined with other issues,
“political power,” for example. The dispute between speakers of French and
speakers of English in Canada is among the issues discussed. In the final
chapter of the section Caroline Myrick (in “What is gendered language?”)
provides examples of the priority status granted to masculine over feminine
forms in language, thus illustrating gendered language. Attempts to rid
languages of this “masculine default,” a currently evolving effort, are
discussed. 

Included in section nine (“Language in the United States”) is “What is the
language of the United States?” by David Goldberg, noting  that the United
States is anything but a monolingual country.  The Modern Language Association
compiles (and makes available) extensive information about language use in the
United States. Some data are reported.  Julie Tetel Andresen (in “Is there a
language crisis in the United States?”) argues that the educational system in
the United States must put a greater emphasis on the study of foreign
languages, including those languages needed for the United States to ensure
its own security.  In “Are American dialects dying?,” Walt Wolfram points out
that dialect differences remain as evident as ever in the United States. While
some dialects are no longer spoken, new ones are heard. The complexity of
dialect differences remains amid constant change. In “What is African American
English?,” Nicole Holliday traces the historical development of African
American English, emphasizing  the rule-governed nature of the dialect and
commenting on some of its features, both segmental and suprasegmental. 

The tenth section (“Language and technology”) contains “How is language used
in social media?,” where Lauren Squires aims to refute an all too common
belief that the language of social media does not measure up to other uses of
language. Trude Heift (in “Can computers teach languages faster and better?”)
states that technology can play an instrumental role in language instruction,
but, with all of its advantages, it is still unable to meet all of a language
learner’s needs, some of which can only be provided by a teacher. In “How good
is machine translation?,” Kevin Knight  explains some of the reasons machine
translation is an extremely challenging task. A look at how it has evolved
over the years reveals a trajectory marked by growing accuracy, but there
remains a need for additional improvement. In “Is text messaging changing how
I write and speak?,” Joel Schneier provides examples of expressions commonly
found in texts. While suggesting that texting does influence our writing and
speaking, Schneier asserts that texting does not have a major impact on our
speaking.

In the eleventh section (“Language and education”)  Anne H. Charity Hudley and
Christine Mallinson (in “Why should educators care about linguistics?”) stress
the need for teachers to be informed about linguistics. Without such knowledge
teachers run the risk of harboring misconceptions about particular language
varieties spoken by students. Pedagogical practices based on these
misconceptions can be extremely detrimental to students.  Richard Hudson (in
“Should schools teach grammar?”) argues that grammar, properly taught, has
many positive outcomes.  Gladys C. Lipton (in “Is elementary school too early
to teach foreign languages?”) strongly supports teaching foreign languages to
children in primary school and enumerates advantages of so doing. She reports
that teaching young children foreign languages is established practice in a
number of countries.  Phillip M. Carter (in “What is bilingual education?”)
explains the term “bilingual education,” noting that it can be used to denote
a multitude of program-types. It is argued that students benefit greatly from
bilingual education.

The book concludes with the twelfth section (“Language application”) including
 “How are dictionaries made?,”  in which Erin McKean reports that dictionaries
are based mainly  on how people are actually using language, thus serving more
as a “descriptive” than a “prescriptive” reference. The rather recent
innovation of online dictionaries enables lexicographers to provide more
detail about dictionary entries. Kevin Hendzel (in “Why do we need translators
if we have dictionaries?,”) distinguishes the role of a “translator” from that
of an “interpreter” and discusses the particular expertise needed in each of
these roles, thus making readily apparent the need for training programs.
Fortunately, such programs are growing in number. Tracy Hirata-Edds, Mary S.
Linn, Marcellino Berardo, Lizette Peter, Gloria Sly and Tracy Williams (in
“How are endangered and sleeping languages being revitalized?”) report on both
the importance of revitalizing languages and current efforts to achieve that
objective. In “Can you use language to solve crimes?,” Natalie Schilling
describes how linguists can play an important role in helping adjudicate
criminal cases. Actual cases are included in the discussion, one in which
William Labov played an instrumental role in resolving.  

EVALUATION

The editors of the book, Caroline Myrick and Walt Wolfram (M and W), took on
what could be a rather daunting task, that of compiling a volume of 66
chapters, and produced an end product that flows seamlessly for the reader.
The seamless flow can be attributed to the consistency in style and level of
difficulty (with little or no knowledge about linguistics assumed on the part
of the reader) across chapters. The particular chapters chosen for inclusion
within each of the 12 sections of the book add to the reader-friendly quality
of the book. M and W had as a goal informing the target audience (namely, the
public/the non-linguist) about a range of topics “in an informative,
entertaining, and accessible format.” (p. 1). That goal was clearly achieved.
The editors expressed the hope that readers would become sufficiently
motivated after reading the book to delve more deeply into the study of
linguistics. That outcome is highly likely given the overall quality of the
book 

The book contains many strengths, one of which is providing readers with more
than a purely superficial knowledge about linguistics, and doing so in very
short chapters that avoid highly technical language. Readers learn, for
example, facts about language and language use, some of which differ greatly
from beliefs held by segments of the public. A knowledge of these facts can
play a utilitarian role. Societal benefits can result from actions rooted in
an understanding of these established facts. Holliday, for example, in
reference to African American English  (AAE), states, “Though AAE may
sometimes be stigmatized as ‘bad English’ or ‘poor grammar,’ It is a
rule-governed variety of English, which is primarily only stigmatized due to
discriminatory language ideologies” (p. 251). A more widespread appreciation
of the fact that dialects differ, but are equally valid, can only help move
society in the direction of cherishing all dialects, a truly beneficial
outcome.  In another chapter, also aimed at debunking erroneous beliefs,
Andresen correctly argues that there is insufficient awareness on the part of
many, including  policy makers, of the pressing need to increase the study of
foreign languages. She aptly asserts, “…..the single most important factor in
solving the crisis is for linguists and other language professionals to become
education policy activists. Foreign language learning must be part of a core
curriculum!” (p. 239). Informing readers of needed reform in foreign language
education can increase the likelihood of seeing desired reform come to
fruition, with all of its benefits.  The book is, in effect, helping this
effort by getting the word out. To provide a final example, Carter reports on
the opposition that is often found to bilingual education (which, as mentioned
above, represents a range of program-types), pointing out why such opposition
is unjustified. Carter correctly asserts, “…..lack of bilingual education can
further exacerbate inequality along racial, ethnic, and linguistic lines” (p.
305).   These examples (which represent only a subset of those found in the
book) enable readers to begin to distinguish valid beliefs from erroneous
assumptions in the public mindset, thus making readers potential advocates for
actions/policies that are advantageous. 

Another praiseworthy feature of the book is the extensive range of subfields
within the discipline of linguistics included in the volume. The breadth of
topics touched on provides readers with a realistic picture of the scope of
linguistics. While the volume understandably does not address formal syntax,
phonology and semantics in any detail, the editors still provide readers with
a sense of more theoretical aspects of linguistics, but in a manner
appropriate for the target audience of non-linguists (see, for example, the
chapters by Chapin, Carlson and Ladefoged). Phrasing the title of each chapter
as a question is an effective way to capture the attention of potential
readers. Anyone who peruses the chapter titles in the Contents is likely to
find a number of questions that they have already wondered about as well as
others that pique their interest. The inclusion of recommended readings at the
end of each chapter is also commendable as it facilitates the process by which
interested readers can do additional reading. 

Each of the 66 chapters of the book contributes to the overall
praiseworthiness of the book. While individual chapters were selected to
illustrate particular strengths of the book above, there is no implication
that the other chapters contribute less to the end product. There are no weak
links in the chain, and that is an impressive feat considering the number of
chapters in the book.  There is every reason to believe that this book will be
well received by a wide audience of non-linguists. It is hoped (and expected)
that the readership includes interested individuals in the general public as
well as students in basic social science or humanities classes where the
curriculum has a unit (or units) calling for an introductory knowledge of
language/linguistics.

Even with books that are outstanding, such as the one being reviewed here,
there are typically some suggestions that can be made for the authors or
editors to consider in future editions. As this book is in its third edition,
the prospect of future editions is deemed likely, one would assume. The use of
illustrations or tables might strengthen certain, already excellent, chapters
The chapter on types of writing systems (Daniels), for example, might be
enhanced with actual examples of different systems in a table. Similarly, in
the chapter aimed at quantifying the number of languages in the world (Lewis),
the addition of a table listing the approximate number of speakers for each of
the most widely spoken languages (if possible,  going beyond the languages
currently indicated) might be useful. In the chapter by Daniels, change “kinds
of writing system” to “kinds of writing systems.”  Finally, it might be
helpful to pose questions at the end of each chapter. Interested readers would
welcome questions as they would provide a useful “next step” in learning about
a particular topic.    

In sum, The Five-Minute Linguist is a very solid work, one which sets out to
achieve a very worthy goal and indisputably succeeds in that effort.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Martin R. Gitterman is Professor Emeritus at Lehman College and The Graduate
Center, The City University of New York. He served for six years as Executive
Officer of the Ph.D. Program in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at The
Graduate Center and prior to that for six years as Chair of The Department of
Speech and Theatre at Lehman College. His areas of specialization include
second language acquisition, bilingualism and neurolinguistics.





------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************    LINGUIST List Support    ***************************
 The 2019 Fund Drive is under way! Please visit https://funddrive.linguistlist.org
  to find out how to donate and check how your university, country or discipline
     ranks in the fund drive challenges. Or go directly to the donation site:
               https://iufoundation.fundly.com/the-linguist-list-2019

                        Let's make this a short fund drive!
                Please feel free to share the link to our campaign:
                    https://funddrive.linguistlist.org/donate/
 


----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-31-1619	
----------------------------------------------------------