Reflections on Language Book

Designed primarily to help students in freshman composition appreciate the medium they are trying to master, Reflections of Language brings together a lively collection of articles that examine language from any points of view. The major emphasis of the book is on language as a social form. The exploration of language is also a vehicle for writing instruction, and the the introductory notes preceding selections help students appraoch the pieces criticaly and analytically. Following each selection are half a dozen writing and analytical exercises. Each thematic section of the book concludes with another set of exercises that link different selections together in writing assignments. Advertising as a specific use of languge is treated at length, with numerous advertisements reproduced for the reader's consideration. Pertinent cartoons enliven the text. Unlike other such readers, Reflections on Language has a substantial number of articles by language theorists in addition to pieces by popular writers. Among the language topics included that are not commonly treated in other language readers are language in cyberspace, the bodily basis of language, and language across species.