Learn to:

• The components of any language
• Language's social dimensions
• What language reveals about the human brain
• How writing changes a language

Understand the science behind human language

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Whether you're currently enrolled in a course or just want to explore the subject, Linguistics For Dummies helps you understand some of the primary streams of linguistics: what language is for (communication), how language works (pattern formation), what language reveals about the mind (cognition), and how written language shapes society (technology).

• Get to know the basics -- determine the traits that all languages share and get to know the design features which ensure that language can convey meaning
• Discover the building blocks of language -- investigate how individual speech sounds combine to form words, which form sentences, and how those are strung together to make conversation
• Explore the evolution of language -- consider how new languages are born, chart how language changes over time, and examine how languages are lost
• Study the relationship between the human brain and language -- find out how children and adults learn language and how language activates your brain
• Delve into the written word -- see how different writing systems develop, how writing a language down changes it, and how it changes you!

Open the book and find:

• The architecture of words
• How linguistics categorizes into grammatical categories
• What makes a conversation tick
• The social variables that affect language
• How linguistic archeology connects Sanskrit and English
• Why dying languages matter and how they can be saved
• What brain damage does to language
• How electronic writing streamlines language