LINGUIST List 6.1217

Thu Sep 7 1995

Misc: Teenage ling, re: 6.1181

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

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1. Achim Stenzel, Re: 6.1181, Sum: Teenage ling

Message 1: Re: 6.1181, Sum: Teenage ling

KARENHSUNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU (karen stanley)
posted a list of linguistics books suitable for highschool
students. For those who read German, I would want to add another
book.

It was written by East German writer Franz F|hmann, the full
bibliographic data is:
Franz F|hmann, Die dampfenden Hdlse der Pferde im Turmbau zu
Babel [The steaming necks of the horses in the tower of Babel].
Berlin: Kinderbuch-Verlag Berlin.

To my view this book is OK for ten- to twelve year olds once
their curiositiy in language matters is kindled. It covers quite
a lot of topics, from Herder's Sprachgeist via vowel harmony,
basic semantics, word games to finally touch on psycholinguistic
matters.

It is settled in a plot where a group of kids of about twelve
years of age get interested in language matters and start to ask
questions. These questions are answered by the spirits of Herder
and Schopenhauer (among others) who materialize on top of the
radio receiver...

Franz F|hmann was a gifted writer of children's books, and he
hired Manfred Bierwisch as linguistic adviser - which is
something like a consumers' warranty, isn't it? Although the book
originated in East Germany, it is not ideologically biased -
which doesn't mean that you come across culture-specific
vocabulary like names for professions or institutions. But it is
stimulating and fun! (And it is beautifully crafted, and not too
expensive - around DM 30,-, if I remember correctly.)

Achim Stenzel
Universitdt Hamburg
e-mail: fs3a505rrz.uni-hamburg.de

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