Watching TV with a Linguist - (Television and Popular Culture) by Kristy Beers Fägersten (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In Watching TV with a Linguist, Fägersten challenges the conventional view of television as lowbrow entertainment devoid of intellectual activity. Rather, she champions the use of fictional television to learn about linguistics and at the same time promotes enriched television viewing experiences by explaining the role of language in creating humor, conveying drama, and developing identifiable characters. The essays gathered in this volume explore specific areas of linguistics, providing a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the study of language. Through programs such as Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Sherlock, and The Wire, contributors deftly illustrate key linguistic concepts and terminology using snippets of familiar dialogue and examples of subtle narration. In addition, contributors aim to raise linguistic awareness among readers by identifying linguistics in action, encouraging readers to recognize additional examples of concepts on their own. To this end, each chapter provides suggestions for viewing other television series or specific episodes, where further examples of the linguistic concepts in focus can be found. Invaluable as a resource in linguistics and communication courses, Watching TV with a Linguist is the first book to use the familiar and compelling medium of television to engage students with the science of language.

Review Quotes

Watching TV with a Linguist encourages listeners to engage in active listening and provides excellent suggestions on ways to do it. . . . Because it provides another way to open our eyes and ears to the phenomena that is language, the book is extremely valuable.-- "Voice and Speech Review"

A book like this ought to be available for instruction in linguistics and television studies, media studies, and cultural studies.--Michael Adams "professor of English, Indiana University"

An interesting and very readable book that aims to provide an introduction to the study of English language and linguistics through the medium of popular television programmes.-- "English in Education Journal"

This is an excellent book, which is innovative in its conceptualization, and expertly edited. . . . A must-read for the budding linguist and TV-enthusiast.--Monika Bednarek "senior lecturer, Department of Linguistics, University of Sydney"

While serving as a great means to teach linguistics through known and accessible texts, Watching TV with a Linguist also gives the reader a language with which to discuss these linguistic phenomena that are familiar but often not addressed because viewers lack a common language with which to describe them.-- "The Popular Culture Studies Journal"

About the Author

Kristy Beers Fägersten is associate professor of English linguistics at Södertörn University in Sweden. She is the author of Who's Swearing Now? The Social Aspects of Conversational Swearing.