AN INTRODUCTION TO PRAGMATICS: SOCIAL ACTION FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS. Virginia LoCastro. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2003. Pp. xi + 366. $27.50 paper.

This book is intended as a textbook for students in language teaching training programs and fulfills this goal as a readable and comprehensive introduction to the field of pragmatics with an emphasis on topics that inform second language research and teaching. Respect for this diverse audience is reflected in the examples selected, which come from a variety of languages and social contexts. Although I am not wholly positive about some aspects of the presentation of the material, as will be shown, overall the text is one I would recommend.