Cultural linguistics draws on but is not limited to the theoretical notions and analytical tools of cognitive anthropology and cognitive linguistics. Here linguists from Germany, the US, and Australia apply its principles to second-language learning. Their topics include first-language cultural conceptualizations in learning a second language as demonstrated by Persian-speaking learners of English, semantic primes and cultural scripts in language learning and intercultural communication, and the Chinese conceptualization of the heart and its cultural context. Six of the eight papers are from a session at the July 2003 International Cognitive Linguistics Conference in La Rioja, Spain. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Research in the relatively new field of cultural linguistics has implications for second language learning and intercultural communication. This volume is the first of its kind to bring together studies that examine the implications for applied programs of research in these domains. Collectively, the contributions explore the interrelationship between language, culture, and conceptualisations. Each study focuses on a different language-and-culture. The languages-cultures studied include Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, English, Aboriginal English and African English. The particular conceptual bases of the contributions range from theories of embodiment and conceptual metaphors to theories of schemas and cultural scripts. Several authors directly address the application of their observations to the fields of second language/dialect learning and intercultural communication, while others first present a theoretical analysis and then explore its practical implications. Collectively, the contributions establish a novel direction for research in applied linguistics.
