Includes bibliography and index.

Acknowledgements; Introduction: Not only for children; PART ONE: THE INTERLOCKING LEVELS; 1. The forms of language play: rhythm and repetition in children's verse; 2. The meanings of language play: imaginary worlds; 3. The uses of language play: competition and collaboration; PART TWO: THEORIES AND EXPLANATIONS; 4. The nature of play: evolutionary and cultural perspectives; 5. The play of nature: randomness and creativity; PART THREE: LANGUAGE LEARNING; 6. Current orthodoxies in language teaching; 7. Future prospects for language teaching ; Bibliography; Index

This book has two related purposes. The first is to demonstrate the extent and importance of language play in human life; the second is to draw out the implications for applied linguistics and language teaching. Language play should not be thought of as a trivial or peripheral activity, but as central to human thought and culture, to learning, creativity, and intellectual enquiry. It fulfils a major function of language, underpinning the human capacity to adapt: as individuals, as societies, and as a species.