num_pages: 288
description: The key to communication, says linguistic anthropologist Michael Agar, is understanding the context and culture of conversation. In Language Shock, Agar reveals how deeply our language and cultural values intertwine to define who we are and how we relate to one another. From paying an electric bill in Austria to opening a bank account in Mexico to handling a parking ticket in the United States, he shows how routine tasks become lessons in the subtleties of conversation when we venture outside our cultural sphere. With humorous, insightful stories from his extensive travels, Agar engages us in a lively study of "languaculture" and enriches our view of the world.
language: English
title: Language Shock: Understanding The Culture Of Conversation
titlecomplete: Language Shock: Understanding The Culture Of Conversation
genres: School, Anthropology, Science, College, Read For School, Academic, Linguistics, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 255
publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks