264 books match the query 'Introduction' and 19 start with l
By R. McKenna Brown, Judith M. Maxwell, and Walter E. Little
University of Texas Press, 2006
Kaqchikel is one of approximately thirty Mayan languages spoken in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and, increasingly, the United States. Of the twenty-two Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala, Kaqchikel is one of the four "mayoritarios," those with the largest number of speakers. About half a million people living in the central highlands between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán speak Kaqchikel. And because native Kaqchikel speakers are prominent in the field of Mayan linguistics, as well as in Mayan cultural activism generally, Kaqchikel has been adopted as a Mayan lingua franca in some circles.
This innovative language-learning guide is designed to help students, scholars, and professionals in many fields who work with Kaqchikel speakers, in both Guatemala and the United States, quickly develop basic communication skills. The book will familiarize learners with the words, phrases, and structures used in daily communications, presented in as natural a way as possible, and in a logical sequence. Six chapters introduce the language in context (greetings, the classroom, people, the family, food, and life) followed by exercises and short essays on aspects of Kaqchikel life. A grammar summary provides in-depth linguistic analysis of Kaqchikel, and a glossary supports vocabulary learning from both Kaqchikel to English and English to Kaqchikel. These resources, along with sound files and other media on the Internet at ekaq.stonecenter.tulane.edu, will allow learners to develop proficiency in all five major language skills—listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and sociocultural understanding.
Department of Linguistics
The Ohio State University Press, 2011
Department of Linguistics, The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University Press, 2016
The Ohio State University Department of Linguistics
The Ohio State University Press, 2022
Carol Simpson Stern
Northwestern University Press, 2010
In Learning to Perform Carol Simpson Stern and Bruce Henderson enliven the dialogue between theory and practice for actors and teachers alike. Beginning with an overview of the study of literary and cultural texts through performance, Stern and Henderson then translate literary and performance theory into concrete classroom experience. Learning to Perform presents a dynamic performance methodology that offers the tools students need to develop and refine performance skills, analyze texts, and think and reflect critically on performed texts. By addressing an expanded sense of text that includes cultural as well as literary artifacts, the authors bridge the gap between oral interpretation and the more inclusive field of performance studies that overarches it.
Peter Sells
CSLI, 1985
Yehuda N. Falk
CSLI, 2001
Peter J. Marchand
University Press of New England, 2014
András Sajó
Central European University Press, 1999
Until the previous decade, constitutionalism in Eastern Europe was considered to be an outmoded concept of the nineteenth century. Changes in the region, however, have brought back the fundamental question of the need to restrict government power through social self-binding.
This book discusses the mechanisms of such restriction, including different forms of the separation of powers and constitutional review. It relates the theoretical and practical importance of the issue to the present world-wide discontent with majoritarian democracy and the growing disrepute of parliaments. Increasing executive efficiency is, however, a threat to fundamental rights, and the battlecry of efficiency is often only a means to new despotism and inefficiency. A careful re-evaluation of the concept of constitutionalism assists in the search for a useful balance between majoritarianism and rights, and in the avoidance of all forms of public tyranny.
Written in non-technical language and using the most important English, American, French, and German examples of constitutional history, the book also examines East European (in particular, Russian) and Latin American examples, in part to illustrate certain dead-ends in constitutional development. It is intended to be an introduction for all those concerned with liberty.
Clayton Valli
Gallaudet University Press, 2001
Clayton Valli
Gallaudet University Press, 2011
Completely reorganized to reflect the growing intricacy of the study of ASL linguistics, the 5th edition presents 26 units in seven parts. Part One: Introduction presents a revision of Defining Language and an entirely new unit, Defining Linguistics. Part Two: Phonology has been completely updated with new terminology and examples. The third part, Morphology, features units on building new signs, deriving nouns from verbs, compounds, fingerspelling, and numeral incorporation. Part Four: Syntax includes units on basic sentence types, lexical categories, word order, time and aspect, verbs, and the function of space. The fifth part, Semantics, offers updates on the meanings of individual signs and sentences.
Part Six: Language in Use showcases an entirely new section on Black ASL in the unit on Variation and Historical Change. The units on bilingualism and language and ASL discourse have been thoroughly revised and updated, and the Language as Art unit has been enhanced with a new section on ASL in film. Two new readings update Part Seven, and all text illustrations have been replaced by video stills from the expanded video content. Also, signs described only with written explanations in past editions now have both photographic samples in the text and full demonstrations in the video.
*** You can find the supplemental video content on the Gallaudet University Press YouTube channel. ***

Julie A. Hochgesang
Gallaudet University Press, 2026
Grounded in the scholarship and reflecting contemporary developments in the field of signed language linguistics, the sixth edition of Linguistics of American Sign Language provides a clear, comprehensive, and fresh introduction to the structure of ASL. Focusing on language in everyday contexts, this new edition treats ASL as a dynamic system shaped by the diversity of its communities.
Organized into two parts, Linguistics of American SignLanguage begins by exploring fundamental concepts of language within communities, addressing language features, registers, variation and historical change, multilingualism, ideologies, and discourse. This first section sets the stage for in-depth analysis into core areas of linguistic study: syntax, phonology, and morphology. New content provides depth, exploring topics such as the representation of signed languages in texts, corpus linguistics, heritage-language signers, and Black ASL. To show how language is used by multilingual and multimodal individuals within their communities, the book pairs discussion with “grounding texts,” videos of ASL within varied authentic settings.
Linguistics of American Sign Language is supported by a companion website that provides access to the grounding texts and supplementary materials, including downloadable resources for hands-on analysis such as annotated videos and readings. Designed for readers with no background in linguistics, each unit opens with guided questions to prompt reflection and concludes with exercises and recommended readings.
Refining the standard for sign language scholarship, the sixth edition of Linguistics of American Sign Language guides readers beyond technical analysis to explore ASL as a vibrant system rooted in community, culture, and language.
Terry Eagleton
University of Minnesota Press, 1996
Martha Sims and Martine Stephens
Utah State University Press, 2011
Living Folklore is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to folklore as it is lived, shared and practiced in contemporary settings. Drawing on examples from diverse American groups and experiences, this text gives the student a strong foundation—from the field's history and major terms to theories and interpretive approaches.
Living Folklore moves beyond genres and classifications, and encourages students who are new to the field to see the study of folklore as a unique approach to understanding people, communities, and day-to-day artistic communication.
This revised edition incorporates new examples, research, and theory along with added discussion of digital and online folklore.
Martha Sims and Martine Stephens
Utah State University Press, 2005
Living Folklore is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to folklore as it is lived, shared and practiced in contemporary settings. Drawing on examples from diverse American groups and experiences, this text gives the student a strong foundation—from the field’s history and major terms to theories, interpretive approaches, and fieldwork.
Many teachers of undergraduates find the available folklore textbooks too complex or unwieldy for an introductory level course. It is precisely this criticism that Living Folklore addresses; while comprehensive and rigorous, the book is specifically intended to meet the needs of those students who are just beginning their study of the discipline. Its real strength lies in how it combines carefully articulated foundational concepts with relevant examples and a student-oriented teaching philosophy.
Philip Hershkovitz
University of Chicago Press, 1978
R. E. Houser
Catholic University of America Press, 2020
Fenrong Liu and Martin Stokhof
CSLI, 2024
L. T. F. Gamut
University of Chicago Press, 1990