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What is Linguistics

(and Why should I care?)

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What is Linguistics?

There is something that all human cultures - from the first villages to modern America, from

the Roman Empire to the Islamic Caliphates - have all had in common. They all used language to

communicate complex thoughts and ideas between different people in the culture. It is something so

ubiquitous (meaning that it is everywhere) and so natural to most of us that most of the time we

don’t even stop and think what a marvel and miracle language really is!

Animals, it is true, can communicate basic ideas between each other (where there is food, if a

predator is nearby, etc). But they lack the ability to form complex thoughts and ideas (questions such

as “What is the purpose of the universe?”, works of fiction, poems, jokes, etc) and to then transmit

those ideas to others. Try this little experiment with a friend : try to go a day without using any

spoken or written words (that includes pictures – they are also a form of language!) to each other

and see how much you can communicate with your friend. Sure, you will be able to indicate if you

want more Mountain Dew to drink or if it is too hot in his house. But try telling your friend about

that hilarious YouTube video you saw the other day, or about how Billy likes Susie but doesn’t want

Jill to know because he still kind of likes her, or about what you are going to do over the winter

vacation. You can’t make those complex thoughts come out of your brain without language!

Language makes human culture and achievement possible. Everything you have, everything

your parents or friends have, is because humans learned how to communicate complex ideas to each

other, and to combine their efforts to make those ideas become reality. Think about that : Could a

house be built if the architect could not communicate with the construction crew or the people

paying to have the house built? Could a computer be built (or a video game be made) if none of the

engineers or software developers used language to communicate? Why even build a computer, since

they are just tools used for communication!! Anything you do, anywhere you go, anyone you know, is

shaped by language. Language even affects the way you think!

So language is important, but why not leave it at that? Why study it, analyze it, or learn about

the mechanics of how it works? It is an interesting question, and one that when you stop and think

about it is kind of silly. While students around the world may dislike their science classes and

complain about them being ‘a waste of time’, at heart most people would agree that the study of the

different branches of science (medicine, chemistry, biology, engineering, physics, etc) is important.

By studying a natural phenomenon , science allows us to analyze that natural phenomenon,

understand how it works, and then copy, improve or alter that natural phenomenon to fit our needs.

Science even allows us to then analyze that new man-made phenomenon and begin the process over

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again! So from the beginning step of looking at birds in flight, humans then began thinking about

how birds were able to fly. That analysis led eventually to an understanding of lift, aerodynamics, the

science of flight. Now humans can zip around the airways faster than any bird, can carry heavy

objects through the air and even travel outside of our own planet – all from studying natural

phenomena and applying the lessons learned to create something new and wonderful.

Just as the study of the plants and animals around us led to the science of biology, the study of

how different substances come together to make new substances led to the science of chemistry, and

the study of why things move or react the way they do led to the science of physics, the study of

language, the way humans communicate ideas, led to the science of linguistics! The study of

linguistics lets us understand how language works, what part of our brain is responsible for this

communication miracle, how we can use basic principles of language to understand unknown foreign

languages, and even how to build our own languages for communication, creation and even fun!

The following is presented with thanks to linguist Elizabeth Pyatt of Penn State University

and her ‘FAQs on Linguistics’ (http://www.personal.psu.edu/ejp10/lingland/faqling.html)

What is linguistics anyway?

Linguistics is the study of language as a cognitive (mental) ability. Questions linguists ask are - How do children learn

language? How do people understand speech sounds? How and why does language change over time? How is

language processed in the brain? What is the relation between one language and another?

How many languages do linguists have to know?

All linguists are exposed to data from a number of languages, but may only be able to speak their own native

language proficiently. In the real world, linguists often speak about 2-4 languages proficiently (we did get into this

because we liked foreign languages!) and are well-acquainted data from about 5-15 languages depending on

experience and interests. But few honest linguists will claim to be proficient in 80 languages!

What do linguists actually study?

Linguists specialize in different components of language. Some of these subgroups include:

1. Phonology/Phonetics - The study of speech sounds

2. Morphology - The study of word structure*

3. Syntax - The study of how words are put together to create sentences and phrases*

4. Semantics/Pragmatics - How meaning is structured and communicated via language*

5. Historical Linguistics - How language changes over time

6. Language Acquisition - How children instinctively acquire the ability to use language

7. Applied Linguistics - How to effectively teach adults and teens a second language

8. Computational - Studying artificial intelligence & models of language

9. Sociolinguistics - How languages & dialects from different socio-economic groups interact and change

*The three subgroups in green are often combined into a bigger subgroup called ‘Grammar’ –

more on this later.

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What do you do with a linguistics degree? In addition to teaching linguistics at the college level, linguists have been known to:

1. Observe or test unconscious linguistic behavior to develop models of human thought and/or communication.

2. Specialize in teaching English as a second language (ESL) or other non-English languages.

3. Work with software developers on language-based applications including grammar checkers, search engines,

natural language processing, speech recognition and artificial speech production.

4. Decipher and interpret old texts.

5. Consult on language policy issues (bilingualism, foreign language education, etc.)

6. Work with communities of minority languages on maintaining and teaching their linguistic heritage.

7. Create artificial languages for their novels or favorite sci-fi show.

8. A bachelor's in linguistics can also be a good gateway to law school, international business, psychology,

computer science, English language teaching in other countries, and more.

Where Can I Learn More?

Some excellent introductory books and websites include:

National Science Foundation: Language and Linguistics- http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/linguistics/

The Language Instinct (TPB) (1995) by Steven Pinker, Harper Perennial.

The Articulate Mammal (Revised Ed., TPB) (1998) by Jean Aitchinson, Routledge.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Languages by David Crystal, Cambridge University Press.

Contemporary Linguistics (textbook) by William O'Grady, William Dobrovolsky, et. al. St. Martin'sd Press.

In Search of the Indo-Europeans (1991) J. P. Mallory. Thames & Hudson

FAQ Page from the Linguistics Society of America - www.lsadc.org/web2/faq/faq.htm

Lexicon of Linguistics - tristram.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/

Glossary of Terms from Summer Institute of Linguistics - www.sil.org/linguistics/glossary

Overview of Field by Linguistics Society of America - www.lsadc.org/web2/fldfr.htm

Dennis Gartner Linguistics Links - faculty.frostburg.edu/engl/gartner/ling.htm

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Grammar :

What it is and why we study it?

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In The Beginning.....There Was Grammar

(the basic building blocks of language)

Ask anyone of any age who has spent any time in school the following question: Which of the following subjects was (or is) your least favorite in school?

a) Math b) History c) Social Studies d) Science e) Literature f) Creative Writing g) Grammar

Ask a hundred people this question, and it would be fair to say that the majority of the people whom you ask will overwhelmingly pick “Grammar”. Some of those people might have been forced to diagram a sentence in front of a class, knowing full well they hadn’t the slightest idea what they were doing and glowing red from the embarrassment. Some might have said that they learned to read quite well without formal grammar lessons, and so what is the point of learning a bunch of useless rules about words and how they work. Now things get interesting. Ask most any English teacher what is their least favorite thing to teach to their classes, and most of them will, again, overwhelmingly choose “Grammar” over subjects such as “American Literature” or “Shakespearean Sonnets” or “Creative Writing”. It seems that if everyone has just cast off the study of grammar and banished it to the cold forgotten wastelands, populated only by old nuns who still rap kid’s knuckles with rulers when they split infinitives or don’t make the subject and verb agree in sentences! Of course, the way that grammar has been taught in schools in the past has been the main reason why grammar has been turned into a hated beast of a subject. Grammar was unfortunately made to be a thing you had to conform to, some maker of seemingly random rules and structures to which your own writing had to follow or else it was seen as “wrong” or “bad”. With a reputation like that, no wonder it became a reviled subject.

But that is NOT what grammar is all about! The study of grammar is not meant to be like a dictator, ruling over your personal writing by ordering certain guidelines followed..or else! Grammar is major genre of the science of Linguistics – it is the science of how all language works! In sciences such as biology, chemistry and physics, scientists observe natural processes at work and then try to understand how and why those processes are as they are. By learning about how the processes work, scientists can then learn to manipulate these processes and create something new and wonderful (from synthetic fabrics to new medicines to the latest computer special effects). Grammar works in the same way!

Language is a form of communication that all human beings have in common – it is something that connects and binds us together through social interaction, can create amazing pieces of creativity that bring joy to the heart and tears to the eyes, and it can even help keep better track of your finances. And it is grammar that allows us to think about language, about how it actually works to allow people to communicate their ideas, and how we can then manipulate the language to allow better communication of ideas.

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Remember – without language to communicate them to others, thoughts and ideas are just headaches with pictures and sound!

Language happens naturally – every human society has a language it uses for interaction and every small child’s brain is wired in such a way to absorb and learn language very efficiently at an early age. Individual languages must be “taught” (by speaking or writing it out for a child to mimic), but the ability to learn individual languages is inborn. All the great achievements of humankind, from the construction of the Great Pyramids to the writing of the Bible, from the building of the first wheel to the invention of the computer, were made possible because of language and its ability to express complex thoughts in ways that others can both understand and enjoy. Grammar is a tool people use to analyze this most important of societies’ building blocks - language. It is not meant to put limits on your writing or your creativity, but to help you understand how language creativity works and why some writing connects with an audience and why some does not. Understanding grammar helps you understand and appreciate why a piece of literature moves your spirit so strongly, how a song or poem can make such a deep connection in your soul, and how people are affected and influenced by the languages around them every day (even though most don’t realize it) – not to mention that it can make your school or work assignments improve dramatically. I can hear you asking the question, “If that is what grammar is really all about, why did we learn it the way we did in school? Did our teachers just hate us?” And honestly, no one can really answer this question. But it seems that what happened was a classic case of wanting to do the right thing but winding up messing up the whole business. Teachers wanted students to understand how language worked (especially their own specific language) and taught grammar as a way of studying language. But somehow, teachers slowly but surely began to teach grammar not as a scientific tool of inquiry but only as a set of guidelines that must be followed, as if language could not happen without studying grammar. Of course that idea is ridiculous – atoms bonded to other atoms long before the first scientist was there to watch them, animals make baby animals without a biologist there taking notes, and rocks fall from cliffs with or without a physicist there to record their velocities. Language also happens whether or not there is someone there to check if the subject and verb agree, or to analyze the use adverbs versus adjectives.

Grammar’s first job is to observe, analyze and record the creation and use of a language. Only then can someone take that knowledge and manipulate it, change it to craft more readable research papers, more passionate poems, more moving lyrics, or more accessible business information. Sometimes society tells us that certain types of writing have to follow a certain standard, just as society says that at certain times you have to act certain ways. You wouldn’t go to a fine dining restaurant dressed in your bathrobe or go to bed dressed in a tuxedo, and you wouldn’t scream and shout during a wedding or sing during a business meeting. In the same way, you wouldn’t want to write a scientific research paper in the same way you write your best friend an email or compose song lyrics in the same way you write a term paper or business proposal. This is where learning proper writing style comes into play, and this is what most teachers teach as the only role of “grammar” and made students think that it was the most painful and dullest of subjects. And yes, sometimes you do have to learn what is considered proper writing styles and standards. But don’t confuse this study of standards and styles with true grammar. It is only one part of the grand study of grammar. Consider it a necessary evil, just like movie directors who have to learn the science and business of cinema before they can create a cool blockbuster action film or hilarious comedy, or like the basketball team that has to practice the fundamentals for months before they can go on to victory in the championship game. The hard work put into learning the basics will bring much better results in the end! Learning about language - how it works and how it influences the way people view the world around them - should be interesting and enjoyable for any intellectually curious person. Grammar is a helpful tool to aid in that learning!