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BAD Linguistics Page | Linguistics FAQ's | BAD Celtic Page

When I tell people I study linguistics, most people are curious and want to learn more. Here are some questions I'm frequently asked and some answers.

What is linguistics anyway?

Linguistics is the study of language as a cognitive 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?

Do linguists perform simultaneous translation?

No. Simultaneous translation is a specialized ability usually associated with people who have spoken two or more languages since childhood. Some linguists HAVE speciliazed in studying bilingual speakers, but many study other fields outside translation.

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 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. Although some linguists perform psychological studies, many study texts or ask for native speaker judgements to collect their data. Some 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 insticntively acquire the ability to use language
7. Applied Linguistics - How to effectively teach adults and teens a second language
8. Computational - Studying artifical intelligence & cognitive models of language
9. Sign Language Studies - How sign language has similar and distinct properties from spoken language
10. Sociolinguistics - How languages & dialects from different socio-economic groups interact and change

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 cognition 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 artifical speech production.
4. Decipher and interpret ancient 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 artifical languages for their novels or favorite sci-fi show.
8. A bachelor's in linguistics (combined with the right electives) can also be a good gateway to law school, international business, psychology, computer science, English language teaching abroad and more.

In my experience, linguistics has given me a better appreciation of world cultures, improved my writing, and sharpened my reasoning. Not a bad educational payoff.

What do you think of bilingual education?

To be incredibly vague, my answer is "It depends on the context". Balancing the needs of language use between ease of communication and preserving ethnic heritages is quite complicated. What is important to me is that any decision consider linguistic and language acquisition principles, not just raw emotion.

Where Can I Learn More?

Some excellent introductory books include:

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

Some Linguistics Websites include:

1. FAQ Page from the Linguistics Society of America - www.lsadc.org/web2/faq/faq.htm
2. Lexicon of Linguistics - tristram.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/
3. Glossary of Terms from Summer Insitute of Linguistics - www.sil.org/linguistics/glossary
4. Overview of Field by Linguistics Society of America - www.lsadc.org/web2/fldfr.htm
5. Dennis Gartner Linguistics Links - faculty.frostburg.edu/engl/gartner/ling.htm
6. Contact Me at - ejp10@psu.edu. If I can't help you, I'll point you to someone who can.