Words and Minds: How We Use Language to Think TogetherWords and Minds takes a lively and accessible look at how we use language to combine our mental resources and get things done. Examining everyday language and drawing on a wide range of research, but always with a light style, Neil Mercer provides a unified account of the relationship between thought and language. Mercer analyses real-life examples of language being used effectively, or otherwise, in many different settings, including workplaces and schools, the home, the internet and the courtroom, and offers practical insights into how we might improve our communication skills. Words and Minds will appeal to anyone interested in language and the psychology of everyday life. |
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achieve analysis asked Cambridge cataphoric Chapter classroom Clevedon client cognitive cohesive collective thinking common knowledge communities of practice concept concordancer context contextual foundations counsellor create cultural cumulative talk dialogue discourse discussion Distributed Cognitions educational English everyday example explain explicit exploratory talk frame of reference genres human ideas individual intellectual interaction interests intermental interthinking interview involved joint activity kind language lawyer learning linguists listeners London Mandy meanings metaphors Michael Halliday Milton Keynes N.Mercer Neil Mercer offer Open University other’s participants particular partners past experience people’s perspective Phish pidgin play school problem psychologists questions R.Wegerif reasons relevant rhetorical role Sequence shared knowledge shared understanding Situated Learning social someone speakers suggested systemic linguists Talk Lessons teacher techniques tell things thinking collectively Tok Pisin tool transcription University Press virtual community Vygotsky Vygotsky’s words