The Psychology of Language

Thank goodness for Harley's textbook, The Psychology of Language! I have been recommending it to undergraduate students in my third year 'Language and Cognition' course ever since the first edition came out because it provides the ideal resource for accessing basic information about virtually every topic within the domain of psycholinguistics. With each new edition, the coverage becomes increasingly comprehensive and accessible and, while the growing popularity of neuroimaging is acknowledged, an appropriately cautious approach is taken to its contribution to our understanding of language processing. Whether such a stance will hold up in future years is an interesting question - and is the very question that Harley leaves us with. - Marcus Taft, University of New South Wales, Australia This excellent book provides a very good overview of topics and controversies and the most important models in the field of psycholinguistics. The breadth is impressive without becoming shallow; the text is engaging and comprehensible. Highly recommended. - Ken Ramshoj Christensen, Aarhus University, Denmark Praise for previous editions: It is comprehensive, covering all aspects of psycholinguistics ... As such it is an excellent companion to an undergraduate speech and language therapy degree course, interlinking modules of study into a cohesive whole. It would also be an accessible reference resource for practising therapists. - Kathy Jones-Williams, in Speech&Language Therapy in Practice I want this book for me, not just for my students. For the student, it's an exceptionally thorough, but lively, introduction to language use in a wider context. For me, it's a valuable reminder of psycholinguistics's evolution from its concerns with the psychological reality of grammar, to its current spot at the center of modern cognitive neuroscience. - Gary S. Dell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,USA Trevor Harley provides a systematic and lucid introduction to the scientific study of human language use. He traverses a complex range of topics from foundational theory and experiment to practical matters of pedagogy and pathology. It's a winning combination delivered with wit, balanced accuracy, and admirable directness of style. - Professor Merrill Garrett, Psychology Department, University of Arizona, USA Harley's book offers an excellent means of enhancing our understanding of language. It provides a clear, comprehensive and thorough review of the current state of play in psycholinguistics, making it an ideal choice for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. - Annukka Lindell, University of Wales, Bangor, UK Harley has thoroughly revised his very successful textbook on psycholinguistics in light of new research. The coverage of this work is quite remarkable and it constitutes the ideal resource for advanced undergraduate students, postgraduate students and researchers interested in the field. - Martin Pickering, University of Edinburgh, UK