Through twenty problem sets, based in languages not only from the Americas but from other continents as well, Thinking Linguistically:

• Initiates students to the linguists’ way of observing and analyzing data by making the methods and the process of inquiry visible and accessible.
• Engages students in analyzing the breadth and depth of two phenomena in a variety of languages—the expression of noun phrase plurality and the formation of questions.
• Integrates analysis of these phenomena with results from first and second language acquisition research.
• Emphasizes the interface between phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
• Exemplifies how linguistic analysis can be used for the teaching of critical thinking, problem solving, and the nature of scientific inquiry in general.
• Is ideal for future language teachers for understanding acquisition and linguistic phenomena