A Critical Introduction to Phonology

"Continuum Critical Introductions to Linguistics" present core areas of the subject from refreshing new perspectives. "A Critical Introduction to Phonology" is engagingly written and uses anecdotes and examples drawn from popular culture to illustrate each point. The book provides comprehensive coverage of all the key areas of the subject, and Daniel Silverman prompts critical thinking about this core area of linguistics throughout the text. It will therefore be essential reading for students taking introductory phonology courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to phonology which departs from the mainstream tradition. Daniel Silverman introduces the key aspects of phonology, and argues that the nature of linguistic sound systems can only be understood in the context of how they are actually used and experienced by speakers and listeners. Using phonological examples from a large corpus of data, Daniel Silverman introduces phonology as a practical subject to be enjoyed, rather than as a theoretical minefield with no bearing on the reality of how people speak.