Phonology as human behavior

Yishai Tobin

Phonology as Human Behavior brings work in human cognition, behavior, and communication to bear on the study of phonology - the theory of sound systems in language. Yishai Tobin extends the ideas of William Diver - an influential linguist whose investigations into phonology reflect the principle that language represents a constant search for maximum communication with minimal effort - as a part of a new theory of phonology as human behavior. Showing the far-reaching psycho- and sociolinguistic utility of this theory, Tobin demonstrates its applicability to the teaching of phonetics, text analysis, and the theory of language acquisition. Tobin describes the methodological connection between phonological theory and phonetics by way of a comprehensive and insightful survey of phonology's controversial role in twentieth-century linguistics. He reviews the work of Saussure, Jakobson,...

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