LinguisticsLinguisticsThe Study of LanguageThe Study of Language

By Lorelei Logsdon

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What is “Language”?What is “Language”?

a language is made a language is made up of sounds up of sounds and/or symbols and/or symbols with agreed-upon with agreed-upon meanings and is meanings and is used as a means of used as a means of communication communication (both verbal and (both verbal and non-verbal) non-verbal) amongst a group of amongst a group of people. people.

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Language Fun FactLanguage Fun Fact

Did you know the reason we’re taught not Did you know the reason we’re taught not to end sentences with prepositions is to end sentences with prepositions is because an 18th-century English because an 18th-century English clergyman published a grammar book in clergyman published a grammar book in which he which he arbitrarilyarbitrarily decided to base decided to base English grammar rules on English grammar rules on LatinLatin??

Well, I’ll be!

Common MisconceptionsCommon Misconceptions

““A linguist is A linguist is someone who just someone who just knows lots of knows lots of languages.”languages.”

““A linguist is A linguist is someone who just someone who just knows lots of big knows lots of big words.”words.”

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So then which of theseSo then which of thesedoesdoes a linguist do? a linguist do?

• Studies lots of different languagesStudies lots of different languages

• Studies how children learn languageStudies how children learn language

• Studies conversationsStudies conversations

• Studies speech soundsStudies speech sounds

• Studies language structureStudies language structure

• YES, all of the above, and much more!YES, all of the above, and much more!

Language Fun FactLanguage Fun Fact

Did you know that Did you know that sandwiches got their name sandwiches got their name from the fourth from the fourth Earl of Earl of SandwichSandwich, who wrapped , who wrapped bread around the meat so bread around the meat so it wouldn’t drip grease on it wouldn’t drip grease on his playing cards?his playing cards?

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The field of LinguisticsThe field of Linguisticshas many subfieldshas many subfields

Anthropological linguisticsAnthropological linguistics Applied linguisticsApplied linguistics Cognitive scienceCognitive science Computational linguisticsComputational linguistics Corpus linguisticsCorpus linguistics Discourse AnalysisDiscourse Analysis EcolinguisticsEcolinguistics Forensic LinguisticsForensic Linguistics Historical linguisticsHistorical linguistics LexicographyLexicography Linguistics and LiteratureLinguistics and Literature MorphologyMorphology

NeurolinguisticsNeurolinguistics Philosophy of LanguagePhilosophy of Language PhoneticsPhonetics PragmaticsPragmatics PsycholinguisticsPsycholinguistics SemanticsSemantics SemioticsSemiotics SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics SyntaxSyntax TypologyTypology Writing SystemsWriting Systems XenolinguisticsXenolinguistics

The study of languagesoriginating from alien species!

Why study Linguistics?Why study Linguistics?

Because lBecause language is fascinating!anguage is fascinating!

Language Fun FactLanguage Fun Fact

The same /k/ sound is The same /k/ sound is produced in a different produced in a different place in the mouth place in the mouth depending on what depending on what sounds will be coming sounds will be coming after it (“eep" vs. “ool")after it (“eep" vs. “ool")

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Even our tongues are lazy!Even our tongues are lazy!------------efficient!efficient!

Direct or Indirect?Direct or Indirect?

Why do men say, Why do men say, ""Open the Open the windowwindow," but ," but women say, "women say, "Boy, Boy, it sure would be it sure would be nice if we could get nice if we could get a breeze in herea breeze in here"?"?

Gender Differences in Language

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Jobs Available to LinguistsJobs Available to LinguistsSome examples…Some examples…

Teaching English as a second Teaching English as a second language (TESL)language (TESL)

Research jobs with companies such Research jobs with companies such as Microsoft, Apple or IBMas Microsoft, Apple or IBM

Government jobs with the FBI or Government jobs with the FBI or CIACIA

Teaching at a community college or Teaching at a community college or universityuniversity

Field work documenting language Field work documenting language in a foreign countryin a foreign country

Or use your linguistic skills in the Or use your linguistic skills in the fields of anthropology, law, library fields of anthropology, law, library science, psychology, or sociology.science, psychology, or sociology.

Language Fun FactLanguage Fun Fact

Did you know that "nice" used to mean Did you know that "nice" used to mean "ignorant" thousands of years ago?"ignorant" thousands of years ago?

Meanings assigned to words in any Meanings assigned to words in any language are completely arbitrary. We've language are completely arbitrary. We've all simply agreed upon the meanings we all simply agreed upon the meanings we give to words.give to words.

Future of LinguisticsFuture of Linguistics What will texting do to our ability to write? What will texting do to our ability to write?

“OMG! I'm omw, will u b there 2? TTFN!”“OMG! I'm omw, will u b there 2? TTFN!”

Email, texting and instant messaging are Email, texting and instant messaging are replacing older forms of communication. What replacing older forms of communication. What will the consequences be?will the consequences be?

Artist unknown

Future of LinguisticsFuture of Linguistics

How can we help How can we help bridge the cultural gap bridge the cultural gap between employees between employees working together from working together from different parts of the different parts of the world?world?

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Want More?Want More?

Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Society of America http://http://www.lsadc.orgwww.lsadc.org//

Do you speak American? Do you speak American? http://http://www.pbs.orgwww.pbs.org/speak/speak//

Language Links Language Links http://http://linguistlist.org/sp/LangAnalysis.htmllinguistlist.org/sp/LangAnalysis.html