Fundamentals of Formulaic Language - by David Wood (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This is the first book to address formulaic language directly and provide a foundation of knowledge for graduates and researchers in early stages of study of this important language phenomenon. It is also suitable for students of linguistics, applied linguistics, and language teacher education. The information that currently exists is scattered throughout articles and book chapters across a range of subfields of linguistics and applied linguistics.

Over the past few decades there has been a steadily increasing interest and research focus on the phenomenon of formulaic language in the fields of linguistics and applied linguistics. Slowly, a consistent definition has emerged, centring around the idea that formulaic sequences are multi-word units with specific meanings or functions, and some evidence points to their being processed mentally as wholes. Researchers from diverse backgrounds have identified the nature and roles of formulaic sequences in language acquisition and production, in the construction of text and discourse, in spoken and written language, and in language teaching. The increasing volume, diversity, and complexity of the state of knowledge about this emerging area of study is marshalled by this intelligent and well-written book.

Review Quotes

A comprehensive yet accessible introduction to research on formulaic language. Fundamentals of Formulaic Language provides a wide coverage of topics such as identification, processing, acquisition, and teaching of formulaic language, concluding with a useful discussion of future directions for research. The up-to-date examination of this highly researched area in Applied Linguistics will make it a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers, and experienced teachers.
International Journal of English Studies

A useful reference book ... in this extremely important and vast field of language study.
Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching

This is a timely and valuable contribution to the field of formulaic language. Each chapter includes an accessible introduction and gives a comprehensive overview of the literature in the field. Practical ideas and examples are provided and supplementary questions at the end of each chapter are valuable to use in class and give inspiration to researchers. This will become an essential textbook for postgraduate and undergraduate students of linguistics, applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, lexis, and language teaching.

About the Author

David Wood teaches applied linguistics at Carleton University, Canada, where his research interests lie in formulaic language, acquisition of L2 spoken language and academic discourse, and language teacher education. He has taught English language and applied linguistics in Canada, Greece, and Japan.