Vyvyan Evans

Vyvyan Evans
Born (1968-09-23) 23 September 1968 (age 56)
Chester, England
OccupationAuthor
Academic background
Education
ThesisThe Structure of Time (2000. Published 2004)
Doctoral advisorAndrea Tyler
Academic work
DisciplineLinguistics
Institutions
Main interestsCognitive linguistics, cognitive science, digital communication
Notable works
Websitewww.vyvevans.net

Vyvyan Evans (born 23 September 1968) is a British[1] cognitive linguist,[2][3] digital communication technologist,[4][5] popular science author, science fiction author and public intellectual.[6][7][8] He has published fifteen books,[9] both non-fiction and fiction. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University.[2] He is an advocate of the usage-based model of language development,[10][11] the domain-general view of mind,[12] and the importance of non-verbal, paralinguistic cues in communication[5]—the development of emoji as a system of digital communication being a case in point.[3][13] Evans is also a published science fiction author. His writing envisages a near future in which language is not learned but streamed.[14]

Education and career

Education and achievements

Evans received his PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University in 2000.[2] During his career he has worked and taught at the University of Sussex, University of Brighton, and Bangor University as a professor of linguistics[15]

In addition, Evans has been instrumental in institutionalizing and developing the field of cognitive linguistics.[2] He founded the UK Cognitive Linguistics Association,[16] with its inaugural conference held at the University of Sussex in 2005.[17] He later served as the President of the UK-CLA for three terms from 2007 to 2014.[2] And he launched the peer-reviewed academic journal Language and Cognition, as its founding General Editor, in 2009.[18] He also initiated what was then the world's first MA in Cognitive Linguistics, in 2003 at Sussex University.[19] Evans is also the author of two textbooks on cognitive Linguistics, the most recent, Cognitive Linguistics: A Complete Guide published in 2019.[20] He has also authored a Glossary of Cognitive Linguistics.[21]

Academic specialization

Evans' academic specializations relate to lexical and compositional semantics, how language encodes spatial cognition and time, the relationship between lexical and semantic structure, and the development and evolution of language. He has authored four technical books. Two of these, The Semantics of English Prepositions,[22] and The Structure of Time[23] propose a new theory of the way in which words are represented in the mind,[24][25] known as Principled Polysemy.[26][27] These books apply this approach to the domains of space[27] and time,[28][25][29][10][30] respectively. The other two books, How Words Mean,[31] and Language and Time[32] develop and extend Principled Polysemy to create a generalized theory of meaning known as Access Semantics, or the Theory of Lexical Concepts and Cognitive Models (LCCM Theory).[33][24] These books focus on the way in which language and mind create meaning, and temporal frames of reference respectively.[24]

Evans is the author of three books for a general audience. The Language Myth,[34] published in 2014, presents controversies in the field of linguistics relating to the nature of language and how it is acquired, and was written as a direct rebuttal of Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct.[35] The Language Myth itself was controversial upon publication, and divided opinion, both winning plaudits,[36][37][12][11][38] and receiving scathing reviews,[39][40] particularly from supporters of Chomsky's Universal Grammar, against which The Language Myth argues. Some critics took exception to Evans' argument that a Kuhnian paradigm shift was under way in linguistics.[41] One notable critic, Norbert Hornstein, accused Evans of engaging in "junk" science.[42] Another critic, David Adger, claims that Evans' "attack on generative linguistics misrepresents the field."[43]

The Crucible of Language, published in 2015, is a sequel to The Language Myth.[44] The thesis of the book is that language and mind co-create meaning during the course of communication.[45] The book also examines the evolutionary back-story to language.[46] The Emoji Code, published 2017,[47] is the first attempt to apply language science to the emergence of emoji as a system of digital communication.[3][48][49] The book argues that emoji fulfils similar functions in digital communication to non-verbal paralinguistic cues found in face to face communication, such as gestures, facial expression and tone of voice.[49] Evans dubs emoji "the body language of the digital age".[50]

Science fiction writing

Evans is also a science-fiction author. His Songs of the Sage book series envisions a dystopian future in which humans no longer learn language but stream it, using brain implants known as Universal Grammar technology, with catastrophic consequences. The first book in the series is The Babel Apocalypse.[14] The novel earned a prestigious Kirkus star, with a review that described the book as: "A perfect fusion of SF, thriller, and mystery—smart speculative fiction at its very best."[51]

Bibliography

Technical books

  • The Structure of Time: Language, Meaning and Temporal Cognition (2004). John Benjamins Publishing
  • The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Cognition and Embodied Experience (2003; with Andrea Tyler). Cambridge University Press
  • How Words Mean: Lexical Concepts, Cognitive Models and Meaning Construction (2009). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199234677
  • Language and Time (2013). Cambridge University Press
  • Cognitive Linguistics: A Complete Guide. (2019) Edinburgh University Press

Textbooks

  • Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction (2006; with Melanie Green). Edinburgh University Press
  • Glossary of Cognitive Linguistics (2007). Edinburgh University Press

Edited books

  • New Directions in Cognitive Linguistics (2009). John Benjamins Publishing
  • The Cognitive Linguistics Reader (2009; with Benjamin Bergen and Joerg Zinken). Equinox Publishing
  • Language, Cognition and Space: The State of the Art and New Directions (2010; with Paul Chilton). Equinox Publishing
  • Language Learning, Discourse and Cognition (2018; with Lucy Pickering) John Benjamins Press

Science fiction

  • The Babel Apocalypse (Songs of the Sage, Book 1). (2023). Nephilim Publishing
  • Real talk. Aeon (4 December 2014)[52]
  • Language: evolution in the digital age. The Guardian (26 June 2015)[53]
  • Can emojis really be used to make terror threats? The Guardian (2 February 2015)[54]
  • How a joke can help us unlock the mystery of meaning in language. Quartz (21 December 2015)[55]
  • Emojis actually make our language better. New York Post (12 August 2017)[56]
  • Coronavirus Emojis: Conveying Compassion and Humour With a Facemask. The Wire (4 May 2020)[57]

References

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  2. ^ a b c d e Hart, Christopher (1 January 2013). "An interview with Vyvyan Evans". Review of Cognitive Linguistics. 11 (1): 185–205. doi:10.1075/rcl.11.1.06har. ISSN 1877-9751.
  3. ^ a b c Heaven, Douglas (21 June 2017). "Say it with feeling: The complex world of emojis". New Scientist. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. ^ How We Use Emojis with Vyvyan Evans, retrieved 17 November 2021
  5. ^ a b "Emoji and Linguistics, with author Vyv Evans, PhD". Never Gallery Ready. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  6. ^ Vaughan, Paden (16 January 2017). "No, emojis aren't making our generation stupid". Huck Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  7. ^ Khodorkovsky, Maria (18 November 2015). "Interview: Vyvyan Evans | 7 Questions to a Linguist". ALTA Language Services. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  8. ^ Vyvyan Evans, live interview, 17th July 2017, retrieved 17 November 2021
  9. ^ "Professor Vyvyan Evans | Official Website | Language & Communication". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b EmlynGHarr1s (27 March 2018). "Babel No12 (August 2015) | Babel Magazine". Retrieved 18 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b "The Language Myth: Why Language Is Not an Instinct, by Vyvyan Evans". Times Higher Education (THE). 13 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  12. ^ a b Anderson, Alun (15 October 2014). "Why language is neither an instinct nor innate". New Scientist. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Smiley face: Seven things you didn't know about emoji". BBC. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Songs of the Sage | Science Fiction book series". Songs of the Sage. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
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  25. ^ a b Khairoulline, Vladimir (1 September 2013). "The Structure of Time: Language, meaning and temporal cognition". Perspectives. 21 (3): 474–476. doi:10.1080/0907676X.2012.662765. ISSN 0907-676X. S2CID 62134404.
  26. ^ "Review of Vyvyan Evans. 'The Structure of Time: Language, Meaning and Temporal Cognition'. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins, 2004. 286 pp". De Gruyter. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  27. ^ a b Chen, Rong (2005). "The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meanings, and Cognition (review)". Language. 81 (4): 1026–1027. doi:10.1353/lan.2005.0166. ISSN 1535-0665. S2CID 143728385.
  28. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, Time". BBC. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  29. ^ Nerlich, Brigitte (2006). "The Structure of Time: Language, Meaning and Temporal Cognition (review)". Language. 82 (2): 429–431. doi:10.1353/lan.2006.0099. ISSN 1535-0665. S2CID 144345307.
  30. ^ "Babel - Issue 12". 30 November 2001. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  31. ^ "Professor Vyv Evans | How Words Mean". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  32. ^ "Professor Vyv Evans | Language & Time". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Review of: How words mean: Lexical concepts, cognitive models, and meaning construction, by Vyvyan Evans". SIL International. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  34. ^ "Professor Vyv Evans | The Language Myth". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  35. ^ Swagman, Joel (14 March 2018). "Joel Swagman (Reviews / TESOL): The Language Myth by Vyvyan Evans". Joel Swagman (Reviews / TESOL). Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  36. ^ Holmer, Arthur (16 November 2016). "The language myth: why language is not an instinct". Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 37 (8): 869–871. doi:10.1080/01434632.2016.1222715. ISSN 0143-4632. S2CID 148694987.
  37. ^ LaPolla, Randy J. (1 January 2016). "Evans, Vyvyan. 2014. The language myth: Why language is not an instinct". Studies in Language. International Journal Sponsored by the Foundation "Foundations of Language". 40 (1): 235–252. doi:10.1075/sl.40.1.09lap. ISSN 0378-4177.
  38. ^ Goldberg, Adele E. (2016). "Another look at the universal grammar hypothesis: Commentary on Evans 2014". Language. 92 (1): 200–203. doi:10.1353/lan.2016.0018. ISSN 1535-0665. S2CID 147096248.
  39. ^ Allott, Nicholas; Rey, Georges (1 September 2017). "The many errors of Vyvyan Evans' The Language Myth". The Linguistic Review. 34 (3): 1–20. doi:10.1515/tlr-2017-0011. hdl:10852/65338. ISSN 1613-3676. S2CID 171572986.
  40. ^ "The Lousy Linguist: The Language Myth - Book Review". The Lousy Linguist. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  41. ^ "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  42. ^ Norbert (6 May 2015). "Faculty of Language: My (HOPEFULLY) last ever post on Vyvyan Evans and his endless dodging of the central issues". Faculty of Language. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  43. ^ Adger, David (1 April 2015). "Mythical myths: Comments on Vyvyan Evans' "The Language Myth"". Lingua. 158: 76–80. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2015.02.006. ISSN 0024-3841.
  44. ^ "Professor Vyv Evans | The Crucible of Language". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  45. ^ Anderson, Alun (9 December 2015). "Time to rethink what makes humans special". New Scientist. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  46. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (15 December 2015). "How a joke can help us unlock the mystery of meaning in language". The Conversation. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  47. ^ "Professor Vyv Evans | The Emoji Code". Prof. Vyvyan Evans. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  48. ^ "The Emoji Code". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  49. ^ a b Sokolowski, Peter (25 August 2017). "How to Speak Perfect Emoji, and Other Language Lessons". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  50. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (6 July 2017). "Why You Need Emoji". Nautilus. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  51. ^ THE BABEL APOCALYPSE | Kirkus Reviews.
  52. ^ Evans, Vyvyan. "The evidence is in: there is no language instinct | Aeon Essays". Aeon. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  53. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (26 June 2015). "#language: evolution in the digital age". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  54. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (2 February 2015). "Can emojis really be used to make terror threats?". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  55. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (21 December 2015). "How a joke can help us unlock the mystery of meaning in language". Quartz. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  56. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (12 August 2017). "Emojis actually make our language better". New York Post. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  57. ^ Evans, Vyvyan (4 May 2020). "Coronavirus Emojis: Conveying Compassion and Humour With a Facemask". The Wire. Retrieved 18 November 2021.