<p>This exciting and challenging volume draws together David Evans’s many years’ experience as an educator and scholar. He argues that language is a form of rationality that is shaped by multiple cultural contexts. His thesis is defended with erudition supported by many fascinating illustrations taken from different languages.</p>

- Kevin Williams, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland,

<p>In this invaluable, ground-breaking book, David Evans embarks upon an ambitious journey of reconciliation. He successfully brings together seemingly incompatible factions, identifies their strengths, and explores the commonalities in their diversity. He then constructs a vision for harmonious and symbiotic co-existence that has great potential for the field of linguistics.</p>

- Robert Adamson, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China,

Taking a unique approach which combines sociolinguistics with theoretical linguistics, this book presents a view of language and grammar as both a cognitive and socio-cultural phenomena.

Beginning with Bakhtin's theories of conceptual grammar and lexico-grammar, this book encompasses a broad philosophical range, engaging with the ideas of key figures such as Bergson, Chomsky, Derrida and Wittgenstein. Drawing on their work, it investigates how language progresses from an inner reflection of the rational mind to develop social and ideological aspects as it interacts with culture. In doing so, it shows how identity is unitary and rational at the linguistic core whilst multiple social identities are simultaneously shaped by linguistic differences at the cultural peripheries.

Encompassing theoretical linguistics, cognitive linguistics, discourse analysis, multilingualism, sociolinguistics and semiotics, Rationality and Interpretation demonstrates how the different branches of linguistics can complement each other and highlights the socio-cultural influences of language development, as well as how language development is shaped by those influences.

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Preface
Introduction
Part I. The Grammar of Mind
1. Grammar and Identity
2. Cognition, Knowledge and Identity in Language
Part II. Grammar and Cultural Identity
3. Systemic Functional Grammar
4. Structuralism
Part III. Interpretation
5. Sociolinguistics and Discourse
6. Intersubjectivity
7. Narrative Identities
Part IV. Beyond Structure
8. Phenomenology and Post Structuralism
9. Signs and Semiotics
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

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Examines language in its core universal rationality whilst, at the same time, language as external, socio-culturally facing and subject to interpretation.
Explains the concept of Universal Grammar alongside recent theoretical refinements and exploration of empirical evidence of universals in unrelated languages

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781350195585
Publisert
2022-10-06
Utgiver
Vendor
Bloomsbury Academic
Høyde
234 mm
Bredde
156 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
192

Forfatter

Om bidragsyterne

David Evans is a Fellow in the School of Education Studies at Liverpool Hope University, UK.