Did you know that aspersions are always cast, umbrage is always taken and the only thing that’s madding is a crowd? All this and more can be explored in Single-context Words: A Study of a Quirk of the English Language, which uncovers the stories behind numerous words which are only ever used in one context. Ian Yearsley has spent 15 years collecting and researching single-context words and has written up over 300 examples in this volume. He explains how they came about and gives examples of their usage, with special reference throughout to the different parts of speech and how some suit single-context words better than others. The book explores a hitherto unexplored aspect of language and would be ideal as a gently humorous reference book, an educational work or an amusing, quirky gift book. This unique and compelling collection complements the existing body of language publications and is for anyone and everyone who has a love of and a fascination for language.

An indispensable store of information on the English language, written by some of the best-known grammarians in the world.

Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this book is ideal for general readers interested in the English language.

This book examines the role of modal expressions in various medical genres, as well as pointing out other markers of speaker attitude. Based on new computer-readable data, and combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the book argues that the use of modal expressions reflects the institutional context of medical discourse. Modal expressions are analysed with reference to hedging, reliability, and argumentation, and it is shown that their use in different genres reflects a model of medicine leading from bio-medical hypotheses through assessment to clinical applications. The book also analyses new genres of medical writing that have developed as a response to the increasing amount of medical information. Advertisements are analysed as an example of medicalization, showing how evaluation in the texts is based on medical values.

This volume explores various hitherto under-researched relationships between languages and their discourse-cultural settings. The first two sections analyze the complex interplay between lexico-grammatical organization and communicative contexts. Part I focuses on structural options in syntax, deepening the analysis of information-packaging strategies. Part II turns to lexical studies, covering such matters as human perception and emotion, the psychological understanding of 'home' and 'abroad', the development of children's emotional life and the relation between lexical choice and sexual orientation. The final chapters consider how new techniques of contrastive linguistics and pragmatics are contributing to the primary field of application for contrastive analysis, language teaching and learning. The book will be of special interest to scholars and students of linguistics, discourse analysis and cultural studies and to those entrusted with teaching European languages and cultures. The major languages covered are Akan, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.

This book explores relationships between Processability Theory approaches and other approaches to SLA. It is distinctive in two ways. It offers PT-insiders a way to see connections between their familiar traditions and theories with other ways of working. Parallel to this it offers readers who work in other traditions ways of connecting with a research tradition that makes specific testable claims about second language acquisition processes. These dual perspectives mean that both beginning and established SLA researchers as well as those seeking to connect their work with views of language learning will find something of interest. Studies of multiple languages and multiple aspects of language are included. Chapters cover areas as diverse as literacy, language comprehension, language attrition and language testing.

This book presents empirical research on teaching, learning and assessment, and teacher development practices in Pakistan. Despite extensive academic research conducted in Pakistan over the last decade, there is a dearth of internationally published literature on English language teaching in the country. This book covers current research priorities and initiatives concerning English language teaching, learning and assessment, empirical developments, and major professional development initiatives, both in Pakistan and involving the work of Pakistani scholars based in abroad. It highlights the impacts that development efforts are having in the ELT world in Pakistan. The respective chapters cover a diverse range of topics, including: continuous professional development (CPD), identity construction, English language policy, curriculum development, and innovative ELT approaches and methodologies used in Pakistan. This volume provides valuable insights for TESOL and applied linguistics scholars and practitioners working in the field of ELT, both in Pakistan and elsewhere in the globalized world.