
The Ascent of Babel
An Exploration of Language, Mind, and Understanding
Gerry T. M. Altmann(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 3. September 1998
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-19-852377-2 (ISBN)
Description
Language is one of the faculties that sets humans apart from animals, the crucial thing which makes our complex social interactions possible. The Ascent of Babel explores the ways in which the mind produces and understands language: the ways in which the sounds of language evoke meaning, and the ways in which the desire to communicate causes us to produce those sounds to begin with. The `ascent' symbolises different things: the progression from sound to meaning, the ascent that we each undergo, from birth onwards, as we learn our mother tongue, and the quest to understand the mental processes which underlie our use of language. Gerry Altmann leads the reader on this ascent - a fascinating tour which takes us from babies learning to say words to the production of spoken and written language, the effects of brain damage on language, and the ways in which computer simulations of interconnecting nerve cells can learn language.
The Ascent of Babel is a journey of discovery, written in an engaging and witty style, at the end of which it becomes clear that Babel's summit - the secret of language - may actually lie at its foundations, where babies play and language is learned.
The Ascent of Babel is a journey of discovery, written in an engaging and witty style, at the end of which it becomes clear that Babel's summit - the secret of language - may actually lie at its foundations, where babies play and language is learned.
Reviews / Votes
... fascinating... an extraordinarily accessible introduction to psycholinguistics, equally valuable to students of the subject, to linguists, psychologists and the general reader. Altmann's use of humorous examples makes it a pleasure to read. * New Scientist * Using language fills most of our day, most of our life. Gerry Altmann seduces us with a surprisingly light touch in a witty, refreshing account of the intricacies of this most human of all skills. its feats and its failures. It is a masterful, state-of-the-art reflection of psycholinguistic science. * Willem Levelt, Max Planck Institute *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
96 line figures
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
421 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-852377-2 (9780198523772)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
09/1998
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€52.49
Available for download

E-Book
09/1998
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€52.49
Available for download
Person
Gerry T.M. Altmann is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of York.
Content
In the beginning ; 1. Looking towards Babel ; 2. Babies, birth, and language ; 3. Chinchillas do it too ; 4. Words, and what we learn to do with them ; 5. Organizing the dictionary ; 6. Words, and how we (eventually) find them ; 7. Time flies like an arrow ; 8. Who did what, and to whom? ; 9. On the meaning of meaning ; 10. Exercising the vocal organs ; 11. The written word ; 12. When it all goes wrong ; 13. Wiring-up a brain ; 14. The descent from Babel ; Bibliography