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In a work that is part memoir, part monograph, Nigel Duffield offers a set of lyrical reflections on theories of Psycholinguistics, which is concerned with how speakers use the languages they control, as well as with how such control is acquired in the first place. Written for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike, this book offers a 'well-tempered' examination of the conceptual and empirical foundations of the field. In developing his ideas, the author draws on thirty years of direct professional experience of psycholinguistic theory and practice, across various sub-disciplines, including theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and philology. The author's personal experience as a language learner - more importantly, as the father of three bilingual children - also plays a crucial role in shaping the discussion. Using examples from popular literature, song, poetry, and comedy, the work examines many of the foundational questions that divide researchers from different intellectual traditions: these include the nature of 'linguistic competence', the arbitrariness of language, and the theoretical implications of variation between speakers and across languages.
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i Reflections on Psycholinguistic Theories Raiding the Inarticulate In a work that is part memoir, part monograph, Nigel Duffield offers a set of lyrical reflections on theories of psycholinguistics, which is concerned with how speakers use the languages they control, as well as with how such control is acquired in the first place. Written for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike, this book offers a ‘well-tempered’ examination of the conceptual and empirical foundations of the field. In developing his ideas, the author draws on thirty years of direct professional experience of psycholinguistic theory and practice, across various sub-disciplines (including theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, philosophy and philology). The author’s personal experience as a language learner, and as the father of three bilingual children, also plays a crucial role in shaping the discussion. Using examples from popular literature, song, poetry and comedy, the work examines many of the foundational questions that divide researchers from different intellectual traditions: these include the nature of ‘linguistic competence’, the arbitrariness of language and the theoretical implications of variation between speakers and across languages. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Nigel Duffield received his university education in language and linguistics in England (Cambridge and London) and the USA (Los Angeles). A professor of English and Linguistics at Konan University (Kobe, Japan) since 2012, he has held previous positions in Germany, Canada, The Netherlands and England. His unique perspective on psycholinguistics is informed by his interactions with psycholinguists over a wide theoretical spectrum, and, especially, by his observations of the language development in his children, the youngest of whom was born with Down’s Syndrome. iii Reflections on Psycholinguistic Theories Raiding the Inarticulate Nigel Duffield Konan University, Japan v University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10006, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia 314–321, 3rd Floor, Plot 3, Splendor Forum, Jasola District Centre, New Delhi – 110025, India 79 Anson Road, #06-04/06, Singapore 079906 Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence. www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108404648 DOI: 10.1017/9781108