Reviewed by John Ryan, University of Northern Colorado

The Basque language by W.J. Van Eys was originally published in 1883 with the title Outlines of Basque grammar, by Trübner & Co., as part of a series of simplified grammars. Following a brief preface and introduction, the book is divided into eleven numbered chapters, another section on syntax, and a final section called ‘Literal translation’. The book’s introduction reveals E’s opinion of the limitations of the scant and former work of Manuel Larramendi (1725), and other unnamed authors of the period whose primary focus was on the verb and the serious misassumption for a time that there was only one verb in Basque, or the lack of understanding of the functions of an agglutinative language. On a more positive note, the introduction closes with the hopes for discovery of the definitive origins of both Basque and Ancient Iberian languages, which at the time were being suggested as one and the same by Wilhelm von Humboldt and others.

Ch. 1 provides the geographical context for Basque and lists its six different dialects. Ch. 2 discusses the manner in which the Latin alphabet has been adopted in place of the original Basque alphabet, which is to this day unknown. Ch. 3 provides a discussion of phonetic/phonological processes that are typical in Basque. Ch. 4 concerns the definite article. Ch. 5 covers agglutination. Chs. 6 through 8 treat the nature of nouns and adjectives (Ch. 6), the various suffixes that may attach to these depending on the case attributed to them (Ch. 7), and pronouns (Ch. 8). Before proceeding to a discussion of verbs, Ch. 9 addresses numbers.

The most comprehensive chapter is Ch. 10, on the Basque verb, which includes both regular and irregular verbs, moods, and auxiliaries. Ch. 11 completes the chaptered sections, making some brief remarks about adverbs and conjunctions. Following Ch. 11, an unnumbered, antepenultimate section briefly discusses Basque syntax and how the various parts of speech individually explained in the preceding chapters agglutinate to form a Basque sentence. Finally, the last section of the book provides a brief text in Basque with corresponding word-for-word translation in English, as well as a commentary with partial parsing.

Despite the book’s age of almost 150 years, it still serves, although on a very basic level, as an adequate introduction to the most important aspects of the Basque language. Both the short length and readability of the text make it ideal as supplemental reading for either an introductory course on language typology or a survey course on languages (both Romance and non-Romance) of the Iberian Peninsula. The book also has great historical importance, as it documents the earlier belief as suggested by Humboldt and others that Basque and Ancient Iberian shared a common linguistic ancestor.

Reviewed by Michael W. Morgan, National Federation of the Deaf Nepal

Nakkara (Na-Kara in the newer orthography) is an endangered non-Pama Nyungan language spoken on the Central Arnhem Land coast of Australia’s Northern Territory. The structure of Nakkara differs in many ways from more familiar Australian languages, lacking ergative structure (and indeed any nominal case marking) and possessing masculine and feminine gender instead of a system of noun classes. In fact, Nakkara differs remarkably even from other languages in the area, with the sole exception of the closely related language Ndjébbana. Aside from stress patterns (Nakkara’s stress is regular and predictable) and lexical items, Nakkara and Ndjébbana generally agree in their structures.

This book is indeed an excellent reference grammar. A chapter introducing the language and its speakers (1–9) also summarizes the most exceptional features of the language. The body of the grammar starts with a chapter on phonology (10–79), including discussions of the status of geminates and long stops (in Nakkara, true geminates occur only in morpheme-medial position); stress, phonological, and morphophonological rules (and their relative ordering); and the orthography used in this book.

The next five chapters concern morphology. ‘Morphological preliminaries’ (80-–95) gives a brief overview of morphology and word classes. ‘Noun morphology’ (96–160) discusses the pronoun and noun-prefix systems, both involving an extensive system of four persons, three numbers, and two gender categories, with three separate forms (attributive, characteristic, and locational) for third-person minimal noun prefixes. Noun suffixes (possessive, ablative, proximal) and the locative/instrumental postposition are also discussed.

‘Verb morphology’ (161–211) and ‘Verb-stem morphology’ (212–65) present verb morphology. The verb complex consists basically of a personal prefix plus root plus tense suffix. The personal prefix system is as discussed above but with separate realis and irrealis systems. On transitive verbs, both agent and patient are marked, resulting in complex combined paradigms. Nakkara (and neighboring Ndjébbana) are unique in having an oblique agentive suffix when the agent is third-person minimal and the patient is non-third-person. The tense system includes future, non-future contemporary, and non-future pre-contemporary (reasons for not calling the latter two tenses present and past are given in the text). Verb stems belong to ten conjugation classes (seventeen if we include sub-classes), and there are separate root increments for transitive and intransitive monosyllabic roots added under certain conditions. Additionally, there are a number of affixes (orientational, reflexive/reciprocal, and inchoative) and a nominalizing prefix.

The chapter, ‘Minor word classes’ (266–365), discusses spatiotemporal qualifiers; interrogatives and indefinites; connective, mood, and other particles; and adjuncts. The length of this chapter is motivated by the large number of particles and adjuncts discussed.

The final chapter, ‘Clause structure’ (366–438), discusses the various types of simple and complex clause types. Notable is the apparent lack of subordinate (as opposed to co-subordinate) clauses. The book ends with several texts (439–90) and a bibliography (491–98). No topical (or other) index is provided.

Reviewed by Francesca Bargiela-Chiappini, University of Warwick

This book is a collection of thirty-five chapters, organized into seven sections and preceded by a short preface. The collection represents the work of delegates to the second conference on progress in colour studies (PICS) held in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2008. As an attentive (and critical) reader of most essays, I agree with the editors’ view that the book has achieved the original objective set for the conference, which is to create a ‘multidisciplinary forum’ on color studies ‘accessible to scholars in other disciplines’ (ix). A few chapters are highly technical in language and content, but most are within reach of the educated reader.

The essays on color perception are particularly interesting, including ‘Touchy-feely colour’ (Section 1), ‘Languages of the world’ (Section 2), and ‘Colour in society’ (Section 3). Other  essays include ‘Individual differences in colour vision’ (Section 5) and ‘Colour preference and colour meaning’ (Section 6). Collectively, these essays afford the reader a fairly detailed yet accessible understanding of many facets of a truly exciting field of study, one that ‘impacts on so many areas of human experience’ (159) as diverse as architecture, art, literature, onomastics, and semantics.

We learn, for example, how the current color-coding scheme (Munsell Colour Chips) excludes 95% of world’s color terms (43), how colors feature prominently in Scottish surnames, and how the color blue in Francis Bacon’s painting reflects the artist’s pain. Rather than treating vision as ‘the most passive of senses’ (28), a phenomenological understanding of color proposes ‘vision as active’ (31) and draws a strong analogy between vision and touch, whereby ‘the gaze is something like a grasp’ (33).

For approximately 4.4% of the population who have a condition called synaesthesia, the experience of color perception can be triggered by stimuli from other domains like sound, touch, and smell. The associations are both very specific and consistent over time, so, for example, ‘a synaesthete might describe the sound of a middle C on the piano as a silver-grey ball seen in left-hand space’ (311). This phenomenon is no less intriguing than the relationship between colors and the emotions that they evoke, or the colors and the adjectives used to describe them. This is why color studies encompass a wide spectrum of scholarly endeavours, and this book is engaging also for the non-specialist reader looking for an analytic and systematic approach to the understanding of one of the most common of human experiences.

Reviewed by Louisa Buckingham, University of Nizwa

This textbook is a welcome addition to a relatively new and dynamic area of study. The book seeks to introduce students of English as a second language to the diversity of language varieties and the different cultures in which they are used. The text is written in simple, unambiguous language and is well suited to undergraduate students of English in second language contexts, particularly those studying in English language and literature programs (where specialized linguistic knowledge is not required). The book eschews the socio-political dilemmas and controversies regarding the use of English as a global language, which has advantages in particular educational environments where critical discussions are not culturally appropriate, such as countries of the Arabian Gulf (where the reviewer is currently located). The book provides exercises testing the skills presented and some active vocabulary-building exercises at the upper-intermediate level, and audio recordings are accessible on the accompanying website. Each chapter comprises a selection of short reading texts, including both excerpts from other texts about world English dialects and literary excerpts. Discussion questions follow, providing stimulus for either oral or writing activities.

The book comprises nine chapters. An introductory chapter on English as a global language, with an excerpt from Jennifer Jenkins’ work, is followed by three sections based on Braj Kachru’s concepts: inner circle varieties (Irish, Scottish, British, Australian), outer circle varieties (Indian, Nigerian, South African), and expanding circle varieties (English in Europe). Each chapter ends with references directing students towards further reading appropriate for their level. The book ends with a glossary of linguistic terms and a simplified International Phonetic Alphabet table.

Inevitably, the included selection of English varieties will give rise to discussion; however, one misses the inclusion of at least one East Asian variety. Not including a discussion of Singapore, Hong Kong, or the Philippines in the outer circle group, for example, seems questionable when space is found in the final chapter for brief discussion on English in France, Germany, and Russia. The inclusion of these expanding circle countries and the narrow range of countries in the inner and outer circles (e.g. the exclusion of North America and East Asia) probably reflects the authors’ expectations regarding where the text will likely be used.

While someone native to one of the countries portrayed may squirm at the sometimes overly stereotypical or simplistic portrayal of the language and culture of the respective country, this book is highly recommended for use in contexts where a general, simplified introduction to world Englishes, combined with language building activities, is sought. Teachers will find a considerable amount of stimulating and topical material for student projects and assignments. Finally, the book is very visually appealing to users; the layout of each chapter follows a set format and plenty of color is used in illustrations and to highlight texts.

Reviewed by J. Kevin Varden, Meiji Gakuin University

This book presents research on the endangered Ryukyuan archipelago languages in Japan. It is the culmination of the Linguistic Dynamics Science Project toward achieving easy access to research outcomes in Ryukyuan studies, 2008–2009, through the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. The authors have provided a valuable service documenting the covered languages; UNESCO has classified Yaeyama Ryukyuan as severely endangered, and Amami, Okinawa, and Miyako Ryukyuan as definitely endangered.

The first article is an introduction to Ryukyuan language family, by Michinori Shimoji, including a typological overview and a succinct summary of its linguistic status. Many comparisons of the Irabu dialect of Miyako Island Ryukyuan to the larger family are included, and video and audio files are available on the author’s website. Hiromi Shigeno presents the Ura dialect of Amami Island Ryukyuan, followed by sketches of Yuwan (also Amami) by Yuto Niinaga, Tsuken (Okinawa) by Satomi Matayoshi, Oogami by Thomas Pellard, Ikema by Yuka Hayashi (both Miyako Ryukyuan), and Hateruma (Yaeyama Ryukyuan) by Reiko Aso. References and a sparse index round out the text.

The collection ‘…is open to both [Ryukyuan] specialists and non-specialists…’. Each article is in standardized descriptive format; grammatical features can be consistently found within the detailed table of contents. All articles provide basic information—an introduction to the language, its speakers, and degree of endangerment; and phonemic inventories, word classes, morphology, among others. The unique features preserved by the linguistic isolation of the islands are particularly interesting. Examples include the syllabic fricatives in vowel-less words found in Oogami (/fks/ ‘month’, ‘build’) and the relic kakari musubi syntactic construction found in Yuwan, Irabu, and Ikema. The grammatical discussions may prove challenging for the non-initiate; the detailed (and evidently first comprehensive) discussion of the verbal morphology and syntax of Yuwan springs to mind. However, the text is clearly written and well proofread. Each sketch wraps up with a glossed narrative of ‘The Pear Story’, a silent movie developed specifically for field elicitation purposes, and a list of abbreviations. I look forward to a comparison of the regional and ideolectal differences in the telling of this story.

Coverage of each language, while standardized, is a bit uneven: Yuwan and Ogami each cover about fifty pages, Hateruma forty, and Ura, Tsuken, and Ikema approximately twenty each. Nonetheless, each is valuable in its own right, and the collection as a whole is a strong step forward in the preservation and understanding of this unusual language group. I hope it will be the first of many. The book can be accessed free of charge for academic use from http://www.aa.tufs.ac.jp/en/publications/inquiry; request ILCAA book number B072. In addition, it is available as a downloadable PDF file at http://lingdy.aacore.jp/en/publications/.

Reviewed by Louisa Buckingham, University of Nizwa

Learners of Turkish have traditionally had little choice on the market when seeking a comprehensive, modern pedagogic, descriptive grammar written in English. While speakers of German have been better served with a wider variety of autodidactic materials for Turkish as a foreign language, for English speakers publications have typically focused on the absolute beginner level and Turkish for tourists. In this book, the author combines sound linguistic knowledge with extensive pedagogic experience to provide pre-intermediate- to intermediate-level learners with clear descriptions of form with practice exercises (the key is provided in an appendix).

The book consists of forty short chapters. Beginning with Turkish phonology (accompanying audio files would be an asset here), several chapters covering features of the noun phrase follow. These are followed by topics at the level of the complex clause, such as conditionals, relative clauses, and coordination. The book finishes with an assortment of topics such as punctuation and common idiomatic expressions. The final chapter, ‘Conversation’, would arguably be better termed ‘Greetings and terms of address’. Several verb conjugation charts appear in the appendices.

The reviewer has only a few queries and suggestions. The first concerns the order of topics. Negation and interrogative forms, for example, two topics a learner would usually wish to consult while studying the noun and verb phrase, occur late in the book, after topics covering the complex clause. The second query concerns the focus on grammar at the phrase and clause level. The learner would find it pedagogically very beneficial to have a short reading text at the end of each chapter, which contains features discussed in the chapter and which also serves as a listening exercise. Modern didactic materials are often accompanied by audio files accessible on the publishing company’s website. Considering the prestigious nature of this publishing company, it would not be unreasonable to expect additional online material. Perhaps these suggestions will be considered when preparations for a second edition are undertaken.

A final consideration also concerns the absence of text grammar. A final chapter on how to write a basic email message or letter would be most useful, and would be a step toward preparing students to use the linguistic input they receive. It would be quite conceivable to include a set of stock phrases used to, for instance, apply for a job, request information, or, on a more personal note, send friendly greetings to an acquaintance, and demonstrate how they may be used in an email or formal letter. Ending the book on this note could feasibly bring together much of the grammar discussed in previous chapters for a realistic communicative purpose.

Despite the aforementioned points, the reviewer does not by any means question the value of this book. It is and remains a most welcome addition to the still small selection of books available to promote the learning of Turkish, and it will doubtlessly be received appreciatively by university students and autodidactic learners.

Reviewed by Louisa Buckingham, University of Nizwa

Silvina Montrul’s textbook on bilingualism in the Spanish-speaking world will be welcomed by instructors in Spanish programs. This is likely to be particularly true in the English-speaking world, where numerous texts on particular aspects of bilingualism can be found in English, but where it may be difficult to find a text suitable at the undergraduate level that is written in the target language and deals with bilingualism from the perspective of target-language communities in the Americas and Spain.

This text encompasses a wide variety of issues related to bilingualism at an individual, community, and regional or national level, and can be used in courses on language acquisition, sociolinguistics, or language planning. The approach encourages a critical appreciation of the complexities of the concept of individual and societal bilingualism. The author succeeds in making accessible a wealth of research that may otherwise be inaccessible to students at the undergraduate level due to its, at times, highly specialized nature.

The text comprises thirteen chapters divided into three main sections: bilingualism and society, individual bilingualism, and educational policies. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the theoretical conceptualization of bilingualism, providing an appreciation of the multifarious ways in which the phenomenon may be defined.

In the first section, the author discusses bilingualism in Spain and Latin America, focusing on both marginalized Amerindian languages and the English-Spanish bilingualism of some elite social sectors in the Southern Cone. This overview underscores how socio-political factors governing the status of each language affects the relative levels of proficiency attained in the speaker population. The second section considers three aspects of bilingual language development: psycholinguistic adult bilingualism, the development of child bilingualism, and second-language learning at or after puberty. The most interesting chapter in this section is perhaps that on first-language attrition, a topic less commonly dealt with in the literature. The author draws on her own considerable research on language use by Spanish heritage language speakers in the United States. As one of the most renowned scholars in this particular field, the author provides an immensely valuable overview of research on a topic that has far-reaching social repercussions in many parts of the United States.

The final section discusses second-language educational policies, thus providing the socio-educational context for the societal and individual bilingualism described in the previous sections. The author begins by outlining approaches to and theories behind bilingual education and then discusses bilingual educational policies in Spain, the United States, and Latin America.

Each chapter is replete with graphs, diagrams, and excerpts from personal testimonies concerning bilingualism in the lives of individuals, which facilitate the comprehension of issues presented in the text and provide additional material for discussion. Each chapter ends with a list of key terms, comprehension questions, and follow-up questions to encourage the application and analysis of themes. Some general knowledge of linguistic concepts is required, particularly for the chapters on code-switching; however, such fairly basic grammatical concepts are usually introduced in undergraduate language courses. The book is written in an accessible style and is equally suited both for self-study and for use as a course textbook.

Reviewed by Natalie Operstein, California State University Fullerton

As stated in the book’s introduction, in the opinion of the American linguist Mario Pei, English spelling is ‘the world’s most awesome mess’. This view is seconded by the Austrian linguist Mario Wandruszka, who describes English orthography as ‘an insult to human intelligence’. On the other hand, Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle claim that ‘English orthography turns out to be rather close to an optimal system for spelling English’. Which of these opposing views will stand up under closer scrutiny of modern English spelling?

This question is at the heart of this book, which presents current English orthography as a systematic result of the historical evolution of English, both linguistic and sociopolitical. In its nine chapters, the book traces the development of the sound and spelling systems from Old to Modern English, paying particular attention to language-internal developments such as the Great Vowel Shift, scribal innovations, the impact of the printing press, and borrowings from Old Norse, French, Latin, Greek, and other languages that have contributed to the vocabulary and orthographic conventions of English.

Ch. 1, ‘Introduction and overview’, provides an outline of the entire book, emphasizing both its aims and its limitations. Ch. 2, ‘England and English from the Romans to the Vikings’, examines the use of writing in pre-Norman Britain, from the runic to the Roman alphabets; offers the first look at the spelling system of Old English; and outlines the Scandinavian influence on English vocabulary and spelling. Ch. 3, ‘The Old English roots of Modern English spelling’, analyzes Old English spelling in greater detail, focusing on the variants that are particularly relevant for the evolution of Modern English. In this and subsequent chapters with similar structure, the presentation is arranged letter-by-letter with subheadings, e.g. ‘short A’ (under ‘A’) or ‘palatalized G leading to ModE DG’ (under ‘G’).

Ch. 4, ‘The decline and revival of English in the Middle English period’, discusses the linguistic consequences of the Norman Conquest, including the division of labor between English and French in the period immediately after the conquest and the revival of English from the mid-thirteenth century onwards. Particular attention is given to the standardization of orthography during this period, and to the impact of the London-based standards and the introduction of printing on the codification of English spelling. Ch. 5, ‘The Franco-Latin element’, examines borrowings from French and Latin and their consequences for English orthography. The forms under discussion are arranged alphabetically, and particular attention is given to doublets or larger sets of words, like hospital/hostel/hotel, that have different shapes in English due to having entered the language at different times. Ch. 6, ‘Some sound and spelling developments in Middle and Modern English’, examines the period’s core sound changes and spelling innovations that are responsible for many of the current mismatches between spelling and pronunciation.

Finally, Ch. 7, ‘The Greek contribution’, and Ch. 8, ‘The exotic input’, examine the contributions of Greek and other languages, and Ch. 9, ‘Reformers, lexicographers and the parting of the ways’, discusses various attempts at spelling reform and highlights the influence on current English orthography of Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster.

Reviewed by Ferit Kılıçkaya, Kocaeli University

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is included in many language-related programs around the world and has received much attention over the past thirty years. Technology changes dramatically, and so do students, teachers, and institutions. Thus, diversity has become a crucial aspect of any learning and teaching context. This book includes ten chapters that discuss several issues regarding diversity in CALL at various levels from both descriptive and practical points of view.

The book opens with an introduction that focuses on several key issues in the field of CALL, including the theme of diversity, theory in CALL research and practice, and CALL and learner autonomy. Ch. 2, ‘Diversity in learner training’, examines students’ use of and experience with CALL materials and the ways that they use these materials in order to provide suitable training, encouraging them to be more effective users of CALL in various contexts. Ch. 3, ‘Diversity in learner training’, touches upon training for CALL and how diversity affects both the training process and the individuals and groups being trained. This chapter also looks at a three-part training model, involving technical, strategic, and pedagogical training. Ch. 4, ‘Diversity in learner support’, investigates individual support, an important element of CALL training, and how it contributes to learner development and autonomy.

In Ch. 5, ‘Diversity in environments’, different types of contexts in which CALL is applied are discussed from both technical and pedagogical perspectives, focusing on several modes of delivery, such as face-to-face, blended, and distance-learning environments. Ch. 6, ‘Diversity in content’, discusses and analyzes how open educational resources and open-source software tools can be utilized to provide a more effective way of English language teaching. The technologies discussed in this chapter range from Web 2.0 technologies to open-source software such as Moodle. In Ch. 7, ‘Diversity in modalities’, the issue of modality and the way that different modes can be utilized in learning are analyzed and discussed in consideration of current technology that allows for a variety of modes of communication. Ch. 8, ‘Diversity in technologies’, analyzes technology available today, ranging from multi-server technologies to mobile technologies, providing examples of the benefit of these technologies. Ch. 9, ‘Diversity in research and practice’, provides an overview of research and practice in CALL and discusses the role of technology in both. Furthermore, this chapter examines research published between 2001 and 2010, revealing the evolution of the field of CALL. Ch. 10, ‘Conclusion’, proposes three levels of diversity in CALL (i.e. individual, institutional, and societal) and discusses diversity at each level, focusing on the features and differences.

The chapters in this book reveal that it is a well-structured research- and practice-oriented book for researchers and practitioners interested in diverse approaches to CALL at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Readers will especially benefit from the discussion of diversity in various contexts, the potential advantages and limitations, and an overview of the current research.

Reviewed by Ferit Kılıçkaya, Kocaeli University

Writing is one of the most challenging skills in language learning and teaching. It requires not only a well-grounded knowledge of the target language but also a particular set of conventions and styles. This book, divided into two parts, includes ten chapters and aims to provide students enrolled in language and linguistics departments with a quick but efficient guide for writing essays.

The first part, entitled ‘The basics’, begins with a chapter that touches upon several points, including different writing styles, originality, and length. In Ch. 2, the author presents the most important elements of writing. This chapter describes how a paragraph can be constructed to better represent and convey ideas, and punctuation is discussed in detail, with clear examples to illustrate usage, which will be of great help to students.

The second part, entitled ‘Getting down to writing’, starts with Ch. 3, which deals with ways that a student can approach assignment questions and provides clear examples to describe different types of writing, such as defining, describing, and arguing. In Ch. 4, the author presents the key stages of writing a good essay: information-gathering, note-taking, planning, drafting, checking, and revising. Ch. 5 discusses how to write a good introduction, addressing the development of a thesis statement, length, and paragraphing. In Ch. 6, the author reviews some formatting essentials, including headings and line spacing.

Ch. 7 discusses how to construct summaries and conclusions and also how they differ, providing clear tips and examples. Ch. 8 is devoted to referencing and quotations. This chapter explains how plagiarism can be avoided, what is required to paraphrase, and how to cite sources in an essay according to different conventions. In Ch. 9, the author deals with stylistic issues and aims to provide clear answers to several questions that arise while writing, such as the use of first-person singular, humor, and formatting. Ch. 10 provides tips, examples, and key points to students who will write small-scale research projects and dissertations. Moreover, this chapter provides a quick review of quantitative approaches (e.g. survey research and experiments), qualitative approaches (e.g. case studies and ethnographies), and mixed-method approaches

A section entitled ‘Frequently asked questions’ provides answers to some commonly asked questions about essays. These answers are organized according to the several themes, such as developing one’s voice and citing sources. The glossary provided toward the end of the book presents definitions of some of the terms frequently referred to in language and linguistics studies.

Overall, the author provides an invaluable resource not only for undergraduate but also graduate students enrolled in language and linguistics departments. With clear examples and advice on various issues linked to writing, ranging from how to write an introduction to citing and referencing, the book will undoubtedly aid students in improving their writing. The book can also serve as a quick reference book for revisiting some of the issues that might emerge while writing essays.