Kirk Hazen, a linguistics professor in the Department of English at West Virginia University, wants everyone to learn how language works.

His new book, “An Introduction to Language,” provides readers who have no background in linguistics a tour of English and how language works in their lives.

“This is a process of self-discovery. If you go through this book, you’re going to learn things about yourself and what you do with language,” Hazen said.

The book includes exercises and examples that help readers explore the different levels of language. Hazen works from smaller parts, such as the individual sounds of language in the variation between “birthday” and “birfday,” to the larger parts of language, such as the differences in phrases like “pass me the ball” and “pass the ball to me.” Some of these differences reflect social distinctions.

“While in some geographic areas the pronunciation of ‘birfday’ goes completely unnoticed, in other regions, it might be seen as an indicator of lower class status. How it’s seen – and how it’s judged – depends on who’s using it,” Hazen said.

Hazen also explores the history of English, including some phrases that have held strong through the centuries.

“Consider the saying ‘dead as a doornail.’ That phrase is itself a single entry in our mental dictionaries. It has a specific meaning. It came to be back when doors had nails. You had to bend them over in the door to hold two slats together. Therefore, the nail was dead. You couldn’t reuse it.”

In “An Introduction of Language,” Hazen guides readers through the study of the language around them – as well as their own variations and impacts on it – by providing them with a new lens to examine their daily lives.

Hazen wrote the book with readers who have no background in language study in mind. By thoroughly explaining concepts with tangible examples, he avoided layers of linguistic jargon that could prevent readers from learning about one of the most beautifully complex skills they possess.

“An Introduction to Language” is available for purchase here.

For more information, contact Hazen at 304-293-9721, or email Kirk.Hazen@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

ma/11/17/14

CONTACT: Devon Copeland, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
304.293.6867, Devon.Copeland@mail.wvu.edu

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