Understanding Language Testing

Book I of the Iliad marks the beginning of the first surviving work of Greek literature. This edition with commentary enables readers at all levels to interpret the poetry with heightened pleasure and understanding. It provides help with the morphology, grammar, and syntax of Homeric Greek, situates the poem in its historical and poetic contexts, and elucidates its traditional language, meter, rhetoric, and style, as well as its distinctive transformation of traditional mythology and narrative motifs in accordance with its own interests, values, and poetic purposes. It also addresses the programmatic contrast in Book I between gods and humans; the characterization of both major and minor figures; and the thematic significance in Book I and the poem generally of the representation of social, cultural, religious, and ethical institutions and values. Fully accessible to undergraduates and graduate students, this edition also contains much of value for the scholar.

Book I of the Iliad marks the beginning of the first surviving work of Greek literature. This edition with commentary enables readers at all levels to interpret the poetry with heightened pleasure and understanding. It provides help with the morphology, grammar, and syntax of Homeric Greek, situates the poem in its historical and poetic contexts, and elucidates its traditional language, meter, rhetoric, and style, as well as its distinctive transformation of traditional mythology and narrative motifs in accordance with its own interests, values, and poetic purposes. It also addresses the programmatic contrast in Book I between gods and humans; the characterization of both major and minor figures; and the thematic significance in Book I and the poem generally of the representation of social, cultural, religious, and ethical institutions and values. Fully accessible to undergraduates and graduate students, this edition also contains much of value for the scholar.

Reference is a major theme in the study of language and language use. Providing a relevance-theoretic account of reference resolution, this book develops our understanding of procedurally encoded meaning by exploring its function and role in reference resolution. A range of referring expressions are discussed, including definite descriptions, demonstratives and pronouns. Existing work on the pragmatics of reference has largely focused on how reference is resolved. However, speakers can do much more than just secure reference when they use a referring expression. A speaker's choice of expression might communicate information about their attitudes and their emotions, and referring expressions can also be used to create stylistic and poetic effects. The analyses in this book widen the focus to consider these broader effects, and the discussions and arguments presented take seriously the idea that referring expressions can contribute to meaning and communication in a way that goes beyond r

Linking Assignments to Assessments is designed for teachers in training in TESOL programs, future preK-12 teachers, and practicing instructors who need to integrate assessment into classrooms. The book shares foundational information on the importance of assessment literacy and on how language acquisition, student backgrounds, and standardized testing need to be considered. It offers step-by-step instructions on creating effective assessments for listening and reading, speaking and writing, grammar and vocabulary. Each chapter includes activities and discussion questions.

A deeply researched and beautifully written account of how the human brain evolved, from the earliest primates through the modern age.The human brain is an astonishing thing. No other life form on the planet has a brain like ours. How did such a unique brain emerge? How did a bundle of cells weighing just 1.2 kg give rise to conscious, selfaware beings capable of understanding time, language, mathematics, and music, of exploring outer space and sequencing their own DNA? From what curious blend of nature and nurture did such astonishing intelligence arise? The answer to these questions and more is a 7-million-year-long saga. It is the story of how the human brain evolved.A Brain Like No Other is the definitive book on the evolution of the human mind. A sweeping natural history, it describes the remarkable origin of our species most mysterious organ and how it has developed into its miraculous modern form. A Brain Like No Other also sets out to answer existential questions about what the

This text provides deep and comprehensive coverage of the mathematical background for data science, including machine learning, optimal recovery, compressed sensing, optimization, and neural networks. In the past few decades, heuristic methods adopted by big tech companies have complemented existing scientific disciplines to form the new field of Data Science. This text embarks the readers on an engaging itinerary through the theory supporting the field. Altogether, twenty-seven lecture-length chapters with exercises provide all the details necessary for a solid understanding of key topics in data science. While the book covers standard material on machine learning and optimization, it also includes distinctive presentations of topics such as reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces, spectral clustering, optimal recovery, compressed sensing, group testing, and applications of semidefinite programming. Students and data scientists with less mathematical background will appreciate the appendice

Accessible yet comprehensive, this first systematic account of crime fiction across the globe offers a deep and thoroughly nuanced understanding of the genre's transnational history. Offering a lucid account of the major theoretical issues and comparative perspectives that constitute world crime fiction, this book introduces readers to the international crime fiction publishing industry, the translation and circulation of crime fiction, international crime fiction collections, the role of women in world crime fiction, and regional forms of crime fiction. It also illuminates the past and present of crime fiction in various supranational regions across the world, including East and South Asia, the Arab World, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Scandinavia, as well as three spheres defined by a shared language, namely the Francophone, Lusophone, and Hispanic worlds. Thoroughly-researched and broad in scope, this book is as valuable for general readers as for undergraduate and postgraduate stu

This compact course is written for the mathematically literate reader who wants to learn to analyze data in a principled fashion. The language of mathematics enables clear exposition that can go quite deep, quite quickly, and naturally supports an axiomatic and inductive approach to data analysis. Starting with a good grounding in probability, the reader moves to statistical inference via topics of great practical importance – simulation and sampling, as well as experimental design and data collection – that are typically displaced from introductory accounts. The core of the book then covers both standard methods and such advanced topics as multiple testing, meta-analysis, and causal inference.

This compact course is written for the mathematically literate reader who wants to learn to analyze data in a principled fashion. The language of mathematics enables clear exposition that can go quite deep, quite quickly, and naturally supports an axiomatic and inductive approach to data analysis. Starting with a good grounding in probability, the reader moves to statistical inference via topics of great practical importance – simulation and sampling, as well as experimental design and data collection – that are typically displaced from introductory accounts. The core of the book then covers both standard methods and such advanced topics as multiple testing, meta-analysis, and causal inference.

Accessible yet comprehensive, this first systematic account of crime fiction across the globe offers a deep and thoroughly nuanced understanding of the genre's transnational history. Offering a lucid account of the major theoretical issues and comparative perspectives that constitute world crime fiction, this book introduces readers to the international crime fiction publishing industry, the translation and circulation of crime fiction, international crime fiction collections, the role of women in world crime fiction, and regional forms of crime fiction. It also illuminates the past and present of crime fiction in various supranational regions across the world, including East and South Asia, the Arab World, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Scandinavia, as well as three spheres defined by a shared language, namely the Francophone, Lusophone, and Hispanic worlds. Thoroughly-researched and broad in scope, this book is as valuable for general readers as for undergraduate and postgraduate stu

Classic Dutch language course, now revised and updated with a new audio app Learn to speak Dutch in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or want to refresh your knowledge, DK's Hugo Dutch in 3 Months will have you speaking Dutch fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in Dutch. The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of Dutch grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces Dutch sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfec

Understanding, as Descartes, Locke and Kant all insisted, is the primary 'faculty' of the mind; yet our modern sciences have been slow to advance a clear and testable account of what it means to understand, of children's acquisition of this concept and, in particular, how children come to ascribe understanding to themselves and others. By drawing together developmental and philosophical theories, this book provides a systematic account of children's concept of understanding and places understanding at the heart of children's 'theory of mind'. Children's subjective awareness of their own minds, of what they think, depends on learning a language for ascribing mental states to themselves and others. This book will appeal to researchers in developmental psychology, cognitive science, education and philosophy who are interested in the cognitive and emotional development of children and in the more basic question of what it means to have a mind.

The Richest Man in Babylon, based on "Babylonian parables", has been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In simple language, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. A celebrated bestseller, it offers an understanding and a solution to your personal financial problem. Revealed inside are the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money earn more money.This original edition has the original language, content, and message from George S. Clason as intended in 1926. It's all here, uncensored.Think and Grow Rich: More than 100 years ago, Napoleon Hill, then a young special investigator for a nationally known business magazine, was sent to interview Andrew Carnegie. During that interview, Carnegie slyly dropped a hint of certain master power he used; a magic law of the human mind - a little known psychological principle - that was am

市場/對象 :一、零售市場為主。遊學、留學顧問公司一般市場二、學校市場為輔。高中、大學、研究所，補習班及語言學校三、個人進修、網路書店。產品介紹 :2020年最新版！這本面向大眾市場的平裝本將兩種重要的語言參考資料集成在一本方便的書中。 它是國高中學生和成人的絕佳參考工具。非常適合在家上學和遠程學習，可用於德州STAAR考試。 這本書提供了60,000個字典條目，其中添加了數百個新詞和詞義，涵蓋了各個領域。超過13,600個詞庫條目提供了廣泛的同義詞和反義詞列表。字典和詞庫條目按字母順序組合，提供清晰簡潔的單詞指導，包括豐富的用法示例，以明確含義。新詞包括：飛機模式、閨蜜、兄弟情誼、遺願清單、ciabatta、眾籌、網絡犯罪、反烏托邦、毛豆、表情符號、食物銀行、跑酷、robocall、STEM、supermom 和truther。 是Merriam-Webster最暢銷的大學詞典。 Product DescriptionRevised and Updated Edition! 2020 CopyrightThis mass-market paperback offers two essential language references integrated in one handy volume.It is a great reference tool for students grades 7-12 and for adults. Perfect for homeschooling and distance learning and can be used in Texas STAAR testing classrooms.The book offers 60,000 dictionary entries with hundreds of new words and senses added across a variety of fields.More than 13,600 thesaurus entries provide extensive synonym and antonym lists.Dictionary and thesaurus entries combined alphabetically and give clear and concis

A wildly fun and scientifically sound exploration of what alien life must be like Scientists are confident that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Yet rather than taking a realistic approach to what aliens might be like, we imagine that life on other planets is the stuff of science fiction. The time has come to abandon our fantasies of space invaders and movie monsters and place our expectations on solid scientific footing.Using his own expert understanding of life on Earth and Darwin's theory of evolution--which applies throughout the universe--Cambridge zoologist Dr. Arik Kershenbaum explains what alien life must be like: how these creatures will move, socialize, and communicate. Might there be an alien planet with supersonic animals? A moon where creatures have a language composed of smells? Will aliens scream with fear, act honestly, or have technology? The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy answers these questions using the latest science to tell the story of how life really work

In applied linguistics, being explicit about ontologies of English, and how they underpin educational ideologies and professional practices, is essential. For the first time, this volume presents a critical examination of the ways in which English is conceptualised for learning, teaching, and assessment, from both social and cognitive perspectives. Written by a team of leading scholars, it considers the language in a range of contexts and domains, including: models and targets for EFL, ESL and EAL teaching and testing, and the contested dominance of native-speaker 'standard' varieties; English as a school subject, using England's educational system as an example; English as a lingua franca, where typically several languages and cultures are in contact; and English as broader social practice in a world characterised by unprecedented mobility and destabilisation. Readers are provided with a balanced set of perspectives on ontologies of English and a valuable resource for educational rese

Essential Actions for Academic Writers is a writing textbook for all novice academic students, undergraduate or graduate, to help them understand how to write effectively throughout their academic and professional careers. While these novice writers may use English as a second or additional language, this book is also intended for students who have done little writing in their prior education or who are not yet confident in their academic writing. Essential Actions combines genre research, proven pedagogical practices, and short readings to help students develop their rhetorical flexibility by exploring and practicing the key actions that will appear in academic assignments, such as explaining, summarizing, synthesizing, and arguing. Part I introduces students to rhetorical situation, genre, register, source use, and a framework for understanding how to approach any new writing task. The genre approach recognizes that all writing responds to a context that includes the writer's identi

This is a book about wonder and about questioning what we think we know. By the time we become adults, we think we know quite a lot. Facts and theories all prop up our idea of the world and how it should work, but do we really know, or are we just trying to make ourselves feel secure?In Everybody Knows What a Tree Is, children talk their way through what they think they know - the uses for trees, the fun to be had, and the amazing scientific facts about them. But in contrast, the animals have a different language and experience for talking about trees.Over time, the children begin to question their knowledge and they look to their senses. But when this, too, breaks down, they are ultimately led to wonder what the experience of a tree is for itself, a truly magical question.Knowledge is important for many reasons: for understanding and solving problems, for building new concepts and creations, and for describing how our world works.But wonder allows us to interact with the world as it a

The crucial role language plays in constituting our reality, and in achieving political influence and control, has long been known in scholarship. However, appreciation of the role of language in understanding our social realities and power relations has not been fully translated to education or even to research beyond linguistically focussed academic strands. Bringing together well-established scholars from a range of disciplines, this book demonstrates why language awareness and discourse consciousness should be considered a key skill in business and professional life, and looks closely at language in areas such as entrepreneurship, leadership, human resource management, medical, financial, or business communication, ecology, media, and politics. The authors demonstrate how the understanding of the minutiae of language use in a variety of professional contexts leads to knowledge that will empower future generations of professionals and enable them to develop a self-reflexive, critica

This hands-on tutorial is a broad examination of how a modern computer works. Classroom tested for over a decade, it gives readers a firm understanding of how computers do what they do, covering essentials like data storage, logic gates and transistors, data types, the CPU, assembly, and machine code.Introduction to Computer Organization gives programmers a practical understanding of what happens in a computer when you execute your code. You may never have to write x86-64 assembly language or design hardware yourself, but knowing how the hardware and software works will give you greater control and confidence over your coding decisions. We start with high level fundamental concepts like memory organization, binary logic, and data types and then explore how they are implemented at the assembly language level.The goal isn’t to make you an assembly programmer, but to help you comprehend what happens behind the scenes between running your program and seeing “Hello World” displayed on the s

Learn to speak French in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: French in Three Months will have you speaking French fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in French.The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of French grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces French sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfect your pronunciation - at home or on the go.Whether you're learning

Learn to speak Dutch in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: Dutch in Three Months will have you speaking Dutch fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in Dutch.The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of Dutch grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces Dutch sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfect your pronunciation - at home or on the go.Whether you're learning Dutch

Learn to speak Portuguese in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: Portuguese in Three Months will have you speaking Portuguese fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in Portuguese.The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of Portuguese grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces Portuguese sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfect your pronunciation - at home or on the go.

Learn to speak Italian in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: Italian in Three Months will have you speaking Italian fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in Italian.

Learn to speak Spanish in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: Spanish in Three Months will have you speaking Spanish fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in Spanish.The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of Spanish grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces Spanish sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfect your pronunciation - at home or on the go.Whether you're lea

Learn to speak German in just three months with this practical and comprehensive self-study language course. Whether you're a complete beginner or wanting to refresh your knowledge, Hugo: German in Three Months will have you speaking German fluently in just 12 weeks. With a fresh new look and an accompanying audio app, the latest edition of this classic self-study course provides all the resources needed to speak, read, and write in German.The 12 weekly chapters contain lessons on the key grammatical structures and present a range of useful vocabulary, along with exercises to reinforce your learning. The essentials of German grammar are clearly explained and tested in conversational exercises, giving you the authentic feel of the language. In addition to a written "imitated pronunciation" guide, which replaces German sounds with English syllables you're already familiar with, the new audio app also allows you to perfect your pronunciation - at home or on the go.Whether you're learning

True Stories 1B, Silver Edition, consists of 20 human-interest stories adapted from newspapers and magazines. The stories are told in simple yet natural language. Pre-reading drawings tell the stories visually and help students get ready for reading.Features of the Silver EditionNew and updated stories maintain the high interest of the series and capture students' imaginations.A colorful new design makes the readings inviting and enhances students' understanding and enjoyment of the stories.A uniform unit structure runs across all six books in the edition, making it easy for students to move seamlessly from one level to the next.Digital Resources include:e-Bookpop-up stories.audio recordings of every reading.answer keys.teaching tips.additional practice activities.

Early Writers is a three-level beginner series designed for elementary school students. The series uses a step-by-step approach to build the writing skills of English language learners in an interesting and fun way. From understanding basic grammar, constructing sentences, and learning how to self-edit, Early Writers guides students through the writing process. Each unit features an original passage with useful vocabulary and helpful sentence patterns which students can use as a model to create their own personal passage. Students who complete this series will develop stronger writing skills and gain confidence in their ability to communicate.FeaturesWide range of enjoyable writing topics including school subjects, hobbies, emails, and special occasionsPractical exercises and activities allowing students to organize and prepare their own passagesMultiple sample passages providing ideas for students to incorporate in their own writingLarge variety of graphic organizers to assist student

Early Writers is a three-level beginner series designed for elementary school students. The series uses a step-by-step approach to build the writing skills of English language learners in an interesting and fun way. From understanding basic grammar, constructing sentences, and learning how to self-edit, Early Writers guides students through the writing process. Each unit features an original passage with useful vocabulary and helpful sentence patterns which students can use as a model to create their own personal passage. Students who complete this series will develop stronger writing skills and gain confidence in their ability to communicate.FeaturesWide range of enjoyable writing topics including school subjects, hobbies, emails, and special occasionsPractical exercises and activities allowing students to organize and prepare their own passagesMultiple sample passages providing ideas for students to incorporate in their own writingLarge variety of graphic organizers to assist student

Early Writers is a three-level beginner series designed for elementary school students. The series uses a step-by-step approach to build the writing skills of English language learners in an interesting and fun way. From understanding basic grammar, constructing sentences, and learning how to self-edit, Early Writers guides students through the writing process. Each unit features an original passage with useful vocabulary and helpful sentence patterns which students can use as a model to create their own personal passage. Students who complete this series will develop stronger writing skills and gain confidence in their ability to communicate.FeaturesWide range of enjoyable writing topics including school subjects, hobbies, emails, and special occasionsPractical exercises and activities allowing students to organize and prepare their own passagesMultiple sample passages providing ideas for students to incorporate in their own writingLarge variety of graphic organizers to assist student

Dante's Convivio, composed in exile between 1304 and 1307, is a series of self-commentaries on three of Dante's long poems. These allegorical love poems and philosophical verse become the basis for philosophical, literary, moral, and political exposition. The prose is written in Italian so that those who were not educated in Latin could take part in what Dante called his 'banquet of knowledge'. In this edition, eminent Dante translator-scholar Andrew Frisardi offers the first fully annotated translation of the work into English, with an extensive introduction, making Dante's often complex writings accessible to scholars and students. The parallel Italian text is also included for the first time in an English translation of the Convivio. Readers of this work can gain a strong understanding of the philosophical themes across Dante's work, including the Divine Comedy, as well as the logic, politics and science of his time.

A comprehensive introduction to the most commonly used statistical methods relevant in atmospheric, oceanic and climate sciences. Each method is described step-by-step using plain language, and illustrated with concrete examples, with relevant statistical and scientific concepts explained as needed. Particular attention is paid to nuances and pitfalls, with sufficient detail to enable the reader to write relevant code. Topics covered include hypothesis testing, time series analysis, linear regression, data assimilation, extreme value analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Canonical Correlation Analysis, Predictable Component Analysis, and Covariance Discriminant Analysis. The specific statistical challenges that arise in climate applications are also discussed, including model selection problems associated with Canonical Correlation Analysis, Predictable Component Analysis, and Covariance Discriminant Analysis. Requiring no previous background in statistics, this is a highly accessibl

In Deep Learning with Python, Second Edition, updated from the original bestseller with over 50% new content, you'll explore challenging concepts and practice applications in computer vision, natural-language processing, and generative models. The bestseller revised Deep Learning with Python, Second Edition is a comprehensive introduction to the field of deep learning using Python and the powerful Keras library, written by the creator of Keras himself. This revised edition has been updated with new chapters, new tools, and cutting-edge techniques drawn from the latest research. In Deep Learning with Python, Second Edition, updated from the original bestseller with over 50% new content, you'll explore challenging concepts and practice applications in computer vision, natural-language processing, and generative models, building your understanding through practical examples and intuitive explanations that make the complexities of deep learning easily accessible. Purchase of the print book

Machine learning-a computer's ability to learn-is transforming our world: it is used to understand images, process text, make predictions by analyzing large amounts of data, and much more. It can be used in nearly every industry to improve efficiency and help stakeholders make better decisions. Whatever your industry or hobby, chances are that these modern artificial intelligence methods will be useful to you as well.Introduction to Machine Learning weaves reproducible coding examples into explanatory text to show what machine learning is, how it can be applied, and how it works. Perfect for anyone new to the world of AI or those looking to further their understanding, the text begins with a brief introduction to the Wolfram Language, the programming language used for the examples throughout the book. From there, readers are introduced to key concepts before exploring common methods and paradigms such as classification, regression, clustering, and deep learning. The math content is kep

Based on the 4G TD-LTE (Time Division-Long Term Evolution) technology, this book uses the modularity-learning mode and the TD-LTE eNodeB equipment of Datang Mobile Company to give a comprehensive instruction about the hardware structure, device opening and setting, equipment maintenance, etc. through different tasks arrangement. This book has three training parts. The first part is the TD-LTE wireless technology, the second one is the recognition of TD-LTE products, and the third one is the operating and maintenance of the base stations. Through the learning of the three training parts, the readers can have a good knowledge of the basic setting and maintenance of a 4G base station, as well as a sound understanding of the structure installation and testing of the hardware, and the starting configuration and testing of the base devices. They can understand the basic knowledge involved in running and testing the mobile communication system. The book aims to train the high-qualified talent

Drawing on data from well-known actors in popular films and TV shows, this reference guide surveys the representation of accent in North American film and TV over eight decades. It analyzes the speech of 180 film and television performances from the 1930s to today, looking at how that speech has changed; how it reflects the regional backgrounds, gender, and ethnic ancestry of the actors; and how phonetic variation and change in the 'real world' have been both portrayed in, and possibly influenced by, film and television speech. It also clearly explains the technical concepts necessary for understanding the phonetic analysis of accents. Providing new insights into the role of language in the expression of North American cultural identity, this is essential reading for researchers and advanced students in linguistics, film, television and media studies, and North American studies, as well as the larger community interested in film and television.

Based on first-hand ethnographic insights into Shi'i religious groups in the Middle East and Europe , this book examines women's resistance to state as well as communal and gender power structures. It offers a new transnational approach to understanding gender agency within contemporary Islamic movements expressed through language, ritual practices, dramatic performances , posters and banners. By looking at the aesthetic performance of the political on the female body through Shi'i ritual practices – an aspect that has previously been ignored in studies on women's acts of resistance -, Yafa Shanneik shows how women play a central role in redefining sectarian and gender power relations both in the Middle East and in the European diaspora.

Whose name is hidden behind the anonymity of the key publication on Mediterranean Lingua Franca? What linguistic reality does the label 'Lingua Franca' conceal? These and related questions are explored in this new book on an enduringly important topic. The book presents a typologically informed analysis of Mediterranean Lingua Franca, as documented in the Dictionnaire de la langue franque ou petit mauresque, which provides an important historical snapshot of contact-induced language change. Based on a close study of the Dictionnaire in its historical and linguistic context, the book proposes hypotheses concerning its models, authorship and publication history, and examines the place of the Dictionnaire's Lingua Franca in the structural typological space between Romance languages, on the one hand, and pidgins, on the other. It refines our understanding of the typology of contact outcomes while at the same time opening unexpected new avenues for both linguistic and historical research.