Psychology of Language and Communication - Softcover

Beattie, Geoffrey; Ellis, Andrew W

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0297787519 ISBN 13: 9780297787518

Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd, 1985

Synopsis

This text provides a wide-ranging introduction to a vast and fascinating area of study-- the psychology of human language use. It offers a new breadth of approach to the subject, breaching conventional disciplinary boundaries with examples and perspectives drawn from many subdisciplines-- cognitive and social psychology, psycholinguistics, neuropsychology, and sociology. The authors present the view that human language needs to be seen in context, as just one of an integrated set of communicative channels, and they explore the interactions between these various means of communication in detail.
After an exploration of the diverse nature of communication, using examples from the animal kingdom, Ellis and Beattie focus on a range of human communicative channels, both verbal and non-verbal. They discuss the nature of human language and the insights that may be gained from study of the variations occurring between and within societies and cultures. Subsequent chapters cover specific aspects of language and communication: speech production as a psycholinguistic skill; the coordination of verbal and non-verbal channels; the structure and management of conversations; language perception and comprehension; the cognitive neuropsychology of language; and the development of linguistic and general communicative skills.
The book also offers an informative and entertaining historical perspective, and illustrates the fact-- frequently disregarded when study is confined to narrow disciplinary fields-- that insights gained into controversial problems in other fields and at other times can shed light on many of today's most contentious debates in psychology. As a broad and readable survey it will prove indispensable for students of this popular area of psychology.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrew Ellis and Geoffrey Beattie are lecturers in psychology at the Universities of Lancaster and Sheffield respectively. Both the authors have contributed numerous articles to scientific journals and they are both recipients of the British Psychological Society's prestigious Spearman Medal for published psychological work of outstanding merit: Andrew Ellis gained the award in 1982 for his study of cognitive and neuropsychological aspects of language, and Geoffrey Beattie received it in 1984 for his work in psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

Review:

"A good text for a junior or senior level language and communication course. The volume's breadth might also make it expecially useful for a senior seminar or introductory graduate course focusing on the role of the individual in the communication process." --Howard E. Sypher, Ph.D., University of Kentucky

"Ellis and Beattie's Psychology of Language and Communication provides a very good review of theories, concepts, and research from linguistics and applied linguistics for advanced students with little previous background in these fields. The authors' attention to aspects of communication, including nonverbal behavior, in relation to language behavior, makes the book especially attractive for communication students. Ellie and Beattie write with wit and clarity, qualities not always so evident in a book of this scope. And their perspective from the U.K. is refreshing." --John Condon, Ph.D., University of New Mexico

"A highly readable and informative discussion that brings together a wide range of empirical work not previously discussed in a single volume. I look forward to using it in my own teaching." --John Gumperz, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

"The first excellent text on communication theory in the past decade." --Roger Wescott, Ph.D., Drew University

"I decided to use the text for my graduate seminar in psycholinguistics....It was very successful. The students found the book informative and a pleasure to read. I was impressed with the way the authors managed to provide necessary background in linguistics and the social sciences without overwhelming the reader with the jargon of different disciplines....The authors emphasize production as well as comprehension of language." --Barbara R. Foorman, Ph.D., University of Houston

"This lively and lucid text combines the breadth of coverage with depth of analysis in a format this is both novel and engaging. It has the advantage of providing a sound historical perspective while retaining a vivid sense of the field's cutting edge. Unusual for works of this kind, it also maintains a balance between social and psychological viewpoints in its exploration of linguistic and communicative issues. Relatively jargon-free, but thoroughly scholarly in its approach, this book would serve as an excellent introductory text for courses in linguistics, communication, or any synthesis of the two." --Clifford Alden Hill, Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University

About this edition

• Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0297787519
• ISBN 13: 9780297787518
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 456