What kind of language do we use to name and describe the animals that feature in our lives? What names do we give to animals as individuals and groups, and how do these influence our perceptions of them? How do our descriptions of different species overlap with the words we use about categories of people?Answering these questions and more, this book presents evidence from an extensive research project into how animals are represented in contemporary English. It dra...

Childly Language explores how attitudes and cultural assumptions about children and childhood are revealed in contemporary English. It addresses such questions as: How is concern for children's safety and welfare reflected in the vocabulary and grammar of contemporary English? and When we say that an adult is being 'childish', what are we saying about the characteristics of children?

Fully updated to reflect the new curriculum, the revised edition of Transforming Primary Mathematics sets out key theories and cutting-edge research in the field to enable teachers to take a fresh look at how they teach mathematics.The book encourages teachers to reflect on their own beliefs and values about mathematics, and asks them to question whether their current methods meet the needs of all learners, and the challenge of having high expectations for all. It provides...

When is language considered 'impolite'? Is impolite language only used for anti-social purposes? Can impolite language be creative? What is the difference between 'impoliteness' and 'rudeness'? Grounded in naturally-occurring language data and drawing on findings from linguistic pragmatics and social psychology, Jonathan Culpeper provides a fascinating account of how impolite behaviour works. He examines not only its forms and functions but also people's understandings of it in both public...

English language and linguistics shares many of its writing conventions with those of other disciplines, but there are certain features and expectations that distinguish it as a subject. This book is written specifically to help undergraduate students of English language and linguistics develop the art of writing essays, projects and reports. Written by an author with over 30 years' experience of lecturing in the subject, it is a comprehensive and very readable resource and contains numero...

This is a companion volume to the editors’ Insights into Teachers’ Thinking and Practice (Falmer Press, 1999) and seeks to carry the discussion on further illustrating that there is a continuing intensity of thought, activity and debate on how to conceptualise research on teacher thinking, and thus generate knowledge for further understanding and action. The ethical questions on undertaking research on the inner lives of teachers remain unresolved.The international team present cha...

The use of reflection as a tool to support and develop practice is becoming increasingly recognised across education, healthcare and the social sciences. Reflection is assumed to create depth of knowledge and meaning, both for self and those practised upon. Running alongside the use of reflection is the prevalent use of action research which some see as a way of approaching the study of human beings from a philosophical perspective, in which sharing takes place within mutually supportive e...

This sane and insightful discussion explores the nature of identity in late modern societies to criticize the way in which psychotherapy has become an ideology of late modernity and to emphasize the importance of `negative' messages in psychoanalytic theory.

There is no denying that thinking comes naturally to human beings. But what are thoughts? How is thought realized in the brain? Does thinking occur in public or is it a purely private affair? Do young children and non-human animals think? Is human thought the same everywhere, or are there culturally specific modes of thought? What is the relationship between thought and language? What kind of responsibility do we have for our thoughts? In this compelling Very Short Introduction, T...

This Fourth Edition of Language and Literacy in the Early Years has been fully revised and updated to reflect current professional interests and the latest developments in the field. The book provides comprehensive coverage of issues in language, literacy and learning, focusing on the age range from birth to seven years. New material covers theory of mind, key persons, and social and emotional dimensions of learning. The author added material on difficulties with language development, phon...

With the rise of new technologies and media, the way we communicate is rapidly changing. Literacies provides a comprehensive introduction to literacy pedagogy within today's new media environment. It focuses not only on reading and writing, but also on other modes of communication, including oral, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. This focus is designed to supplement, not replace, the enduringly important role of alphabetical literacy. Using real-world examples and illustrations, Litera...

Stance and Voice in Written Academic Genres brings together a range of perspectives on two of the most important and contested concepts in applied linguistics: stance and voice. International experts provide an accessible, yet authoritative introduction to key issues and debates surrounding these terms.