Following the successful Basics format, this is the book for anyone coming to semiotics for the first time. Using jargon-free language and lively, up-to-date examples, Semiotics: The Basics demystifies this highly interdisciplinary subject. Along the way, the reader will find out:

* What is a sign? * Which codes do we take for granted? * What is a text? * How can semiotics be used in textual analysis? * Who were Saussure, Peirce, Barthes and Jakobson - and why are they important?

Features include a glossary of key terms and realistic suggestions for further reading. There is also a highly-developed and long-established online version of the book at: www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B.