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Home » , » What is Linguistics and why do we study linguistics?

Have you ever considered why we are saying "teeth" instead of "tooths"? What do our mouths do to form a ‘b’ sound different from a ‘p’? So confusing! Basically, linguistic is about how we hear words and therefore the different analysis of the meanings we increase those words. It explains how different languages build sounds, words and sentences. generally , the main target of linguistics is about the structure and usages of language and it’s psychology. it's mainly the study of “universal grammar.” So, it includes the study of syntax, grammar, and phonetics. The study of linguistic is to seek out out every single aspect a few language, as an example , it’s origins and structure, it’s phonetics, sounds and pronunciation. Not only these, but also it inquiries the matters like why accents differ from place to put , the knowledge of vocabulary and its variations of usage, and most significantly , to determine a link between the sounds beginning of our mouths and what we mean. In brief, Linguistic is that the study of a language as a component for communicating with others.

It does not based on observation alone, rather it focuses on the study of human speech including the units, the nature, the structure, and the modification of language. Linguistics is concerned with the nature of language and communication. It deals with the search for general properties common to all languages or large groups of languages. 

Categories:

There are several types of linguistics, for instance: English Linguistics, German Linguistics, French Linguistics, Romance Linguistics, Italian Linguistics etc.

Every language has the six structural areas in linguistics: phonology; phonetics, morphology; syntax; semantics; and pragmatics. Linguistics has six primary sufields and many integrated subfields. The primary subfields are:

1. phonetics and phonology (describe the sounds of language), 2. morphology and syntax (describe the structure of language), and 3. semantics and pragmatics (describe how meaning and how meaning is communicated in language). Examples of the integrated subfields which combine with other fields are: 

1. Structural Linguistics : Structural linguistics has six areas: Phonology; Phonetics; Morphology; Syntax; Semantics; and Pragmatics.

2. Psycholinguistics: The study of Psychology and Linguistics.

3. Sociolinguistics: The study of Sociology and Linguistics

4. Neurolinguistics: The study of the brain on languages.

5. Anthropological linguistics: The study of man and linguistics.

6. Cultural linguistics: The study of culture and linguistics.

Structural Linguistics includes the following subareas :

1. Phonetics (the study of the production, acoustics and hearing of speech sounds)

2. Phonology (the patterning of sounds)

3. Morphology (the structure of words)

4. Syntax (the study of grammatical structure of sentences)

5. Semantics (the study of meaning)6. Pragmatics (language in context), (the patterning of sounds).

Why Do We Study Linguistics?

Linguistics helps us understand our world and helps to empower people. Most basically, linguistics is the study on learning and understanding how humans communicate. Human language and communication extends well outside the boundaries of symbolic communication (spoken language, written language). Linguistics offer a program of studies that leads toward an understanding of phonological (sounds), syntactic (grammar), and semantic (meaning) structure, and that exposes students to descriptive, experimental, and historical approaches to the study of language. Not only that, it also offers students the opportunity to approach human language as an object of scientific investigation. Students get the chance to apply a variety of methodologies to the study of language, like: fieldwork, introspection and analysis of native speakers’ judgments, computational an experimental investigations of normal and impaired language processing, laboratory phonetic analysis, mathematical modeling, and language description based on existing texts.

Career opportunities with a Linguistics degree 

Degrees on linguistics develop valuable skills of a person that are applicable to many jobs which includes problem-solving skills, attention to detail, argumentation, and clarity of expression. There are some jobs sectors that more specifically use linguistics skills, such as, computer industry, education, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), teaching at the university level, working as a translator or interpreter, teach a foreign language, work on language documentation or conduct fieldwork, working in the publishing industry, as a technical writer, or as a journalist, working with dictionaries (lexicography), becoming a consultant on language in professions such as Law or Medicine, working for an advertising company, working for the government, becoming an actor or train actors, etc. Interested students can choose among several different career paths in linguistics. However, different career paths will benefit from different course concentrations, so it is wise to consult with the undergraduate advisor when choosing courses. The linguistics career has many applications and paths to be followed. Through Historical Linguistics, one can explore how a language is born and how it has evolved over time. There are far more branches one might be interested in: Eco-Linguistics, the language dynamics between men and the environment, Sociolinguistics, the language interaction between men and society, and for structure and biology aficionados: Neurolinguistics, the study of how human brain works and its magic to convey grammar and communication. But a Linguistics graduate may go onto so many different fields:

a) Translating – working for an international NGO or similar institutions.

b) Culture – specializing in cultural heritage or even training actors or singers in their pronunciation.

c) Advertising – making up catchy slogans for a brand, becoming a publisher, an editor, or a journalist.

d) Technology – artificial intelligence and computer language processing,

e) Education – teaching a foreign language.

f) Politics – speech and policy writing, etc. 

Linguistics is a growing and exciting field with an increasingly important impact on other fields though it is still largely unfamiliar to the educated public. It has great impact on diverse fields, such as- psychology, philosophy, education, language teaching, sociology, anthropology, computer science, and artificial intelligence.

Reasons to Study Linguistics:

There are numerous motives on studying Linguistics in major. The list is given below: 

1. For learning about other cultures and mapping their respective developments, histories, myths, customs, Speech is the medium that connects knowledge with the world.

2. Speech acquisition is an unbelievably unique phenomenon. So one can explore the unknown world of language through studying linguistics.

3. Modern societies are multilingual and culturally diverse. So study in Linguistics 

4. For truly learning a language, one must learn about how they work and linguistics help there.

5. To know the grammar of a language.

6. Discourse research – understanding how we communicate in conversation

7. The study of linguistics gives a person an unique window on the structure of the human mind and the mind's activity.

8. Linguistics also helps to understand and document geographical /environmental influences, periods of Migration/Diaspora, origin of certain spiritual beliefs.

Apart from simply understanding the intricacies of world languages, knowledge in linguistics are often applied in improving communication between people, contributing to translation activities, assisting in literacy efforts, and treating speech disorders. We cannot underscore the importance of understanding the relationship that exists between language and culture. Without a cultural explanation and therefore the context it provides, it's difficult to recollect a number of the principles and formatting of a far off language. One may find the idiomatic expressions absolutely nonsense without the context clues. It is important for the language learner to recognize the cultural context of a language to connect the dots so to speak in so many more instances. Aspects of a culture deepen the understanding with the understanding of its language also as work to deepens the understanding of a culture and its individuals. Through studying linguistics, one can gain additional insight into individual/ group cultural perspectives by examining syntax, expressions (metaphors and the like); and more general structure of Sentences, inquiry, discussion, and stories/legends.


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