Linguistics is the scientific study of the structure, use, and social significance of language.
The study of linguistics takes us to the crossroads of language and culture. Language shapes our understanding of the world and connects us to the cultures in which it is used.
Linguistics helps us understand the complex interplay of sounds, grammar, and context, revealing how people communicate with each other.
The study of linguistics guides us through phonetics, syntax, semantics, and more while also helping us examine practical applications such as language teaching and translation in the digital age.
“Words use us as much as we use words.” — Laurence J. Peter
Open Educational Resources
This page and the resources linked from it are Open Educational Resources
(OER).
The linguistics course was team-taught at Southern Nazarene University by Howard
Culbertson, world missions professor, and Carolyn Waterman from the English department. It
was offered about every two years and could be taken for credit as either an English course or a missions course. The course drew on both missiology and English because effective cross-cultural ministry depends on understanding how language and culture shape communication. Note: Dr. Waterman was the lead teacher, so her site contains most of the available course materials.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, including how humans
acquire, use, and process it. Linguists examine the components of language, such as
sounds, grammar, and vocabulary, and investigate how those aspects are used in communication.
They also study the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which languages are spoken, and
how language is related to other aspects of human cognition and behavior.
Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that uses knowledge from psychology, anthropology, computer science, philosophy, and other disciplines. It has many practical applications, including language teaching, speech therapy, machine translation, and natural language processing.
Subfields of linguistics
Phonetics and phonology: The sounds of language, how they are produced, and how they are used in different languages.
Morphology: The structure of words and how they are formed from smaller units called morphemes.
Syntax: The structure of sentences and how words are combined to form grammatically correct sentences.
Semantics: Meaning in language, including how words and sentences communicate meaning and how context affects meaning.
Pragmatics: How language is used in social contexts and how context affects the interpretation of language.
Historical linguistics: How languages change over time and how they are related to each other.
Sociolinguistics: How language is used in different social contexts and how it reflects and reinforces social norms and identities.
Language Gulper — Overview of almost 200 ancient and modern world languages, including phonology, grammar, basic vocabulary, key literary works, and maps.
EveryTongue.com — Working to put a recording of every language online.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, including its sounds, syntax,
semantics, and societal functions. It digs into the fundamental aspects of human
communication, investigating how languages are formed, how they change over time, and how they
are used in various contexts. Linguists analyze the intricacies of grammar, phonetics, and
morphology to understand the rules and patterns that govern language. Additionally, linguistics
extends beyond the individual components of language to examine broader phenomena, such as language acquisition, language variation, and language change. By uncovering the underlying principles of human language, linguistics helps us understand human cognition and appreciate the diversity of cultures worldwide.
Some takeaways from a linguistics course
A linguistics course introduces students to a wide range of knowledge that extends beyond the mechanics of language. Here are some of the topics it covers:
Understanding Language Structure
Phonetics and phonology: Learn about the sounds of human speech, how they are produced,
and how they function in different languages.
Morphology: Study the structure of words and how they are formed from morphemes, the
smallest units of meaning.
Syntax: Understand how words combine to form sentences and the rules that govern sentence
structure.
Semantics: Analyze how meaning is constructed and interpreted in language.
Pragmatics: Learn how context influences the interpretation of meaning in
communication.
Language variation and change
Sociolinguistics: Discover how language varies according to social factors such as region, class, gender, and ethnicity.
Historical linguistics: Study how languages change over time and the processes that cause language evolution.
Dialectology: Learn about regional variations in language and how dialects are classified and studied.
Language acquisition
First language acquisition: Understand how children acquire their native language(s) naturally and the stages of language development.
Second language acquisition: Investigate how people learn additional languages and the
factors that affect this process.
Language and cognition
Psycholinguistics: Study the relationship between language and the mind, including how
language is processed and produced.
Neurolinguistics: Learn about the brain mechanisms underlying language processing and
how language functions are localized in the brain.
Applications of linguistics
Computational linguistics: Learn how linguistic principles are applied in
technology, such as in natural language processing and artificial intelligence.
Forensic linguistics: Understand how linguistic analysis is used in legal contexts, such as in
analyzing evidence or interpreting legal documents.
Language education: Learn about tried-and-tested methods for teaching and learning languages.
Cultural and philosophical insights
Language and culture: Look at the deep connection between language and culture,
including how language influences cultural identity and worldview.
Linguistic relativity: Examine the idea that the structure of a language affects its speakers' cognition and worldview (the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis).
Critical thinking and analytical skills
Problem-solving: Develop the ability to analyze language data, identify patterns, and
construct linguistic arguments.
Research skills: Learn how to design and conduct linguistic research, including data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Ethical and social ramifications
Language policy and planning: Understand the impact of language policies on society
and issues related to language rights and preservation.
Language and identity: Reflect on how language contributes to personal and group identity
and the implications for social cohesion and diversity.
Bottom line: A linguistics course provides technical knowledge about how languages work while also offering insights into human cognition, social interaction, and cultural diversity.
L – Learn how language works beneath the surface I – Identify sounds through phonetic analysis N – Navigate syntax and sentence structure G – Grasp the rules that govern word formation U – Uncover the universals shared across languages I – Investigate meaning in semantics and pragmatics S – See how language changes over time T – Trace the ties between language and society I – Interpret data from real-world speech C – Conduct basic linguistic experiments S – Spot patterns in language variation and use
