Description
Book SynopsisDo you know what 'verlan' or French 'backslang' is? Was President Mitterand 'cà blà '? The French language is more than just a tool for communication; it has a crucial role to play in how native speakers of French think about the world and about themselves and their culture. This book helps students develop a systematic 'linguistic' approach to French. It covers the core topics, ranging from the structure and sounds of the language to discourse and everyday conversation. No previous knowledge of linguistics is assumed and a glossary of technical terms and many exercises and activities help reinforce key points. Students will find that their understanding and enjoyment of the French language is greatly enhanced by this book.
Trade ReviewA unique and wide-ranging introduction to the structures and use of French language. Written with admirable clarity, it is a 'must' for all students of French linguistics.
Aidan Coveney, Department of French, University of
A lively textbook.
The Linguist
To be welcomed as offering a uniquely wide-ranging and stimulating introduction to the French language.
MLR
Rich array of illustrations...(with) general user-friendliness...the authors succeed in making broad stimulating statements that can be refined, rather than contradicted, in more advanced courses.
French Language Studies
Table of ContentsIntroduction - The layman's approach to language contrasted with the linguist's
The principal branches of linguistics
Varieties of French - The standard language
Language and society
Language and register
The Lexicon - Words and dictionaries
Where do French words come from?
Word formation
Word meaning
The Sound System - Introductions to IPA
The vowel system
The consonant system
Connected speech
Prosodic features
From phonetics to phonology
Morphology and Syntax
Derivational morphology and inflectional morphology
The morphology of spoken French
Grammatical categories
Syntactic structure
Pragmatics
Discourse
Conversational analysis
Index
