What you’ll find inside
An Introduction to Language, Eleventh Edition, by Victoria Fromkin, Robert Rodman and Nina M. Hyams, gives students a broad introduction to linguistics and the systems that make human language possible. It begins with core questions about language and thought, then builds a vocabulary for examining how words, sentences, sounds and meanings are structured.
Explore the structure of language
The contents move from morphology and word formation to syntax, semantics, phonetics and phonology. Readers meet the principles used to describe sentence patterns, meaning, speech sounds and the sound systems of languages. Later chapters widen the view to language in society and the ways languages change over time. The organization lets students study a specific area while seeing how it connects with the rest of linguistic analysis.
Language across people and the lifespan
Coverage also includes first-language development, adult second-language learning, language processing and the relationship between language and the brain. These topics connect formal linguistic patterns with how people acquire, use and interpret language. Exercises and a terminology-rich glossary support review and provide material for applying concepts as readers progress through the chapters.
Who may find it useful
The book is relevant to introductory linguistics and language-science courses, including study related to education, English language teaching, cognitive science and psychology. It assumes no prior specialist knowledge and introduces the main branches of the field in a structured sequence. The bibliographic record for the eleventh edition lists 524 pages. Confirm the edition and listed PDF format against your course requirements; the preview opens four sample images so you can inspect the file before choosing.
Use the sequence to connect concepts
Students can move from word structure and sentence patterns to sounds, meaning and social use, then carry those ideas into language change, acquisition and cognition. This progression helps place specialized terms in context rather than treating them as isolated definitions. Confirm whether your course requires an MLA update or a particular eleventh-edition format.
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ISBN and edition details
ISBN for this edition (reference): 9780357698129
This identifier belongs to a published version of the matching title/edition. A format-specific ISBN for the supplied PDF has not been independently confirmed.
Luis C. –
My linguistics teacher recommend me this ebook and I’m so glad I listened to her. All the information is explained in a very detailed but also in an extremely easy way to understand. It contains all the basics you need as a linguistics student about all the different subfields this wide study field has.
Katarina –
The textbook was used in t”Fundamentals of Linguistics Class”. The textbook was useful, practical but wordy. The textbook met the needs of the class requirements adequately.
Ana –
This textbook is easy to read because it specifically explains each linguistic term and provides examples. In the end of each chapter, there are exercises and activities that go along with the corresponding chapter. I needed this textbook for a Linguistics class I am currently taking, and I really like it so far. I have already learned a lot of new information regarding linguistics, specifically phonetics. I feel like this textbook can even be used for senior high school students who are interested in basic linguistics.
Kimberly Shannon –
I’m not a student of Linguistics. I took an intro class for a GE and was required to purchase the ebook. That said, it was excellent! The ebook’s writing isn’t too hard to swallow, and it’s littered with useful examples and charts. I kept it after the class was over because I enjoyed the content so much, I felt like I would read it for fun!
Greet –
gebraucht, aber einwandfrei, sogar die wichtigsten Dinge markiert 🙂
nazar –
Thanks, the ebook is great. 🙂
くんくん –
教科書として使うが高価なためためらっていたところ 定価よりだいぶ安くなっていたので購入。 助かりました。
Sara –
As a student, I learned from version 9 of this ebook. As a first-time linguistics teacher, I used the most current edition, which at this time is 11. They’ve kept a lot of the fundamentals the same, reorganized some things, and of course updated the content with more contemporary concepts (the most obvious being the section on language and computers). For the first-time teacher, this ebook is perfect since you can pick and choose from the well-organized sections you want to address in your class. The accompanying exercises are great practice, both for in-class demonstration, and to assign as homework.
Exina –
Every chapter ends with a summary, references for further reading and exercises – all are very useful. An Introduction to Language is a practical, interesting and entertaining read of linguistics.
vtmtngirl –
I teach linguistics and, therefore, have reviewed many linguistics textbooks. This one is by far the most comprehensive and student-friendly. The complexities of phonetics, morphology, syntax, etc. are relayed in accessible language with clear examples. The layout is well organized with multiple ways of finding the information that one might need (for example, look a word up in the glossary and get the “file” number for a more thorough explanation; need to quickly reference a phonetic symbol — merely flip open the back of the ebook). Highly recommended for introduction to linguistics.