Cognitive Linguistics An Introduction

This second edition of the bestselling textbook provides up-to-date coverage of all areas of the field. As well as being fully revised and updated throughout to reflect the most recent developments in the field (including coverage of the neural theory of language paradigm and the latest cognitive semantic and constructional approaches to language and the mind), this second edition also includes: A brand new section exploring New-Horizons in Cognitive Linguistics covering advancements in the field including linguistic relativity, English language teaching and bilingualism, cognitive sociolinguistics and cognitive humanities. An innovative new chapter entitled Key Topics in Language Science exploring the 'burning questions' in language science such as the relationship between human language and non-human communication systems, whether there are language universal etc. A new chapter dedicated to Research Methods in Cognitive Linguistics exploring the range of methodologies, the research areas, data and questions and offering an evaluation of their relative merits. This will include hands on check list of the research cycle for students who seek to apply cognitive linguistics in their own research projects and dissertations. While all topics are introduced in terms accessible to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, this work is sufficiently comprehensive and detailed to serve as a reference work for scholars from linguistics and neighbouring disciplines who wish to gain a better understanding of cognitive linguistics. The book is divided into four parts and is therefore suitable for a range of different course types, both in terms of length and level, as well as in terms of focus. In addition to defining the field, the text also includes appropriate critical evaluation. Complementary and potentially competing approaches are explored both within the cognitive approach and beyond it. For example conceptual metaphor theory is compared and contrasted with conceptual blending theory in terms of methodology, assumptions, scope and phenomena.