To describe the world around us, to negotiate our way through complex situations and relationships in our lives, to share our feelings and thoughts, we use language. Language is not only a tool for communication, but also an intrinsic aspect of our identity. Though language is quite significant in our lives, most of us are not aware of the incredible complexity of all the elements that make up our communication system. Against this backdrop, the book, Understanding Language: A Basic Course in Linguistics, by Elizabeth Grace Winker, focuses on exploring all the fascinating subsystems of language as well as how to make use of them.

Understanding Language: A Basic Course in Linguistics provides a wide coverage of the theoretical systems of language. The book is divided into ten chapters, with particular emphasis on three broad areas: the first part defines the term `language' and explains the mechanism behind the acquisition of mother tongue by human beings; the second part provides a basic overview of the major structural areas of linguistics, including the systems used to create sound, grammar and meaning; and the third part looks at how individuals and groups make use of language in their daily lives. The book also covers many complex areas in the field of linguistics. The main goal of this book is to provide the readers with an understanding of human language through brief and clear explanations with real-life examples and illustrative exercises to help draw attention to the diverse ways in which language impacts the lives of people and the societies they live in.

There are countless definitions of what constitutes a `language,' which range from the simple `a system of communication' to the complex `a system of symbols comprising of lexemes and rules by which they are manipulated.' The first chapter of the book gives a brief introduction to the sound system, the lexicon, morphology and grammar. It also discusses how the languages of the world differ from each other; the boundaries of a language, i.e., language verses dialect; and a linguistic approach to language diversity.

Elizabeth Grace Winker, Morphology studies, Phonetic system, Pulmonic regressive airstream mechanism, Articulatory phonetics, Appalachian English, African American Vernacular English and Cockney English.