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Description of  Redefining Linguistics (RLE Linguistics A: General Linguistics)

The academic discipline of linguistics is at a critical stage of development. Whatever consensus there may have been fifteen or even ten years ago is fast disappearing. A process of redefinition is underway, and it is the aim of this volume to contribute to that process, explain why a redefinition is needed, and how it should proceed. In the case of linguistics the subject is also the subject matter. Many linguists have ignored the problem of definition, simply regarding linguistics as the science of language itself. What, though, is language itself? Is it a language, ie English, Swahili? Or, language in a more general sense? Read more