Living Language
An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology
Third Edition
Laura M. Ahearn
This edition first published 2021
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Edition History
Second Edition © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
First Edition © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ahearn, Laura M., 1962- author.
Title: Living language : an introduction to linguistic anthropology / Laura M. Ahearn.
Description: Third edition. | Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020037410 (print) | LCCN 2020037411 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119608141 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119608196 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119608158 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Anthropological linguistics. | Language and culture.
Classification: LCC P35 .A38 2021 (print) | LCC P35 (ebook) | DDC 306.44—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020037410
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020037411
Cover image: © pworld /Getty Images
Cover design by Wiley
Set in 11.5/13.5 BemboStd by Integra Software Service, Pondicherry, India
Table of Contents
1 Cover
5 List of Figures
6 List of Tables
7 Preface
8 Acknowledgments
9 Part I Language: Some Basic Questions1 The Socially Charged Life of LanguageSo, What Do You Need to Know in Order to “Know” a Language?Examples of Linguistic DiversityExamples of Diversity in Research Topics in Linguistic AnthropologyKeith BassoMarjorie Harness GoodwinBonnie UrciuoliAlessandro DurantiKathryn A. WoolardJames M. WilceKey Terms in Linguistic AnthropologyMultifunctionalityLanguage IdeologiesPracticeIndexicalityThe Inseparability of Language, Culture, and Social Relations2 Gestures, Sign Languages, and MultimodalityBakhtin’s Double-Voiced DiscourseGoffman’s Participation Framework and Production FormatSpeech and the Analysis of ConversationGestures and Other Forms of Embodied CommunicationSign LanguagesPoetry, Whistled Languages, Song, and Images3 The Research Process in Linguistic AnthropologyWhat Kinds of Research Questions Do Linguistic Anthropologists Formulate?What Kinds of Data Do Linguistic Anthropologists Collect, and with What Methods?Participant ObservationInterviewsSurveys and QuestionnairesNaturally Occurring ConversationsExperimental MethodsMatched Guise TestsWritten TextsHow Do Linguistic Anthropologists Analyze Their Data?What Products Do Linguistic Anthropologists Generate from their Research?What Sorts of Ethical Issues Do Linguistic Anthropologists Face?4 Language Acquisition and SocializationLanguage Acquisition and the Socialization ProcessGaps in the “Language Gap” ApproachLanguage Socialization in Bilingual or Multilingual ContextsLanguage Socialization throughout the LifespanConclusion5 Language, Thought, and CultureA Hundred Years of Linguistic RelativityThe Sapir–Whorf HypothesisInvestigating the Effects of Language on ThoughtLanguage-in-GeneralLinguistic StructuresColorSpaceTimeLanguage UseConclusion
10 Part II Global Communities of Speakers, Hearers, Readers, and Writers6 Global Communities of Multilingual Language UsersDefining “Speech Community”Size and Location of the CommunityWhat Is Shared by the Members of a Speech Community?The Type of Interactions