Book Review: The Native Speaker

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Forwarded from Linguist List:

The Native Speaker:  Myth & Reality
Series Title: Bilingual Education & Bilingualism

Publication Year: 2003 Publisher: Multilingual Matters
http://www.multilingual-matters.com/

Author: Alan  Davies, University of Edinburgh


Brings together a range of views on the concept of the native speaker
including psycholinguistic, linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects.
Concludes that all characteristics of the native speaker (except early
childhood exposure) are contingent

Description

Linguists, applied linguists and language teachers all appeal to the
native speaker as an important reference point. But what exactly (who
exactly?) is the native speaker? This book examines the native speaker
from different points of view, arguing that the native speaker is both
myth and reality.

Contents
Preface to First edition
Preface to Second edition
Chapter 1:  Introduction
Chapter 2:  Psycholinguistic aspects of the native speaker
Chapter 3:  Linguistic aspects of the native speaker
Chapter 4:  Sociolinguistic aspects of the native speaker
Chapter 5:  Lingualism and the knowledges of the native speaker
Chapter 6:  Communicative aspects of the native speaker
Chapter 7:  Intelligibility and the speech community
Chapter 8:  Losing one's language
Chapter 9:  Assessment and second language acquisition research
Chapter 10: Conclusion: who is the native speaker?
Appendix/ References/   Index

Author information

Alan Davies has taught and researched English and Applied Linguistics in
Kenya, Nepal, Australia, Hong Kong and the U.K and is now Emeritus
Professor of Applied Linguistics in the University of Edinburgh. In the
1960s he developed the English Proficiency Test Battery, which the British
Council used prior to ELTS and IELTS. A former editor of the journals
Applied Linguistics and Language Testing, his publications include
Principles of Language Testing (Blackwell 1990), An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics (Edinburgh U.P. 1999) and Dictionary of Language
Testing (Cambridge U.P. 1999).

Hardback: ISBN: 185359623X, Pages: 237, Price:
          GBP42.95/US$69.95/CAN$99.95
Comment: 2nd Edition
Paperback: ISBN: 1853596221, Pages: 237, Price:
           GBP16.95/US$27.95/CAN$39.95