This accessible and lively introduction to semantics and the multi-faceted nature of language guides the non-specialist through the major ways in which the English language makes meaning. The author discusses the meaning of linguistic units at all levels of language, from sound to discourse and the role of theories and models themselves in helping us to understand human behavior. Through examples and exercises, readers are encouraged to think through and evaluate complex ideas and theories for themselves.

Author Biography

Lesley Jeffries is Principal Lecturer in English at the University of Huddersfield.