By: Linzi (Residence Advisor – Ross)
In my first two years in university when I didn’t know many people in my own program, whenever I tell someone that my chosen major is linguistics, the conversation usually ends with disinterest and we move onto another topic, or my response is followed by questions of “why?” or “what?”
“Wow! You’re doing linguistics? I heard it’s really hard!”
People often get the impression that linguistics is a hard subject. Let me make this clear: linguistics is as hard as any other subject can be. It is not rocket science! I think it’s easier than Biology or Economics can ever be, that’s because I like the subject!
If you enjoy the subject, you will do well. It is as simple as that.
“So what is linguistics?” The number one question I always get from people. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, involving a lot of research and analysis. It breaks down into several areas of study, including:
– Knowing the structural properties of languages: sounds (phonetics and phonology), words (morphology), sentences (syntax), and meaning (semantics and pragmatics)
– Finding in what way languages are similar or different and changes over time
– The process of language acquisition in children and adults
– How language is spoken and perceived
Linguistics can be on the anthropological side delving into different languages and their history, seeing how a lot of languages are how they are nowadays because of political development. On the more scientific side, linguistics – or Speech Science looks at how our mind and body enables us to create and understand languages, tying into audiology, speech pathology or cognitive science. There are a lot of theories to learn in linguistics, because at the end of the day, things linguists look at are really about the changes, search and trying to figure out why languages were and are how it is.
Moving on, why study linguistics? Here are some suggestions on why you may want to give linguistics a try.
- Learn International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)!
It’s like learning another language, except with a system you can use and apply to all other languages! I found it incredibly useful when trying to learn a new language.
- Know more about your own language!
Through linguistics, you learn to appreciate the complexity of a language. There will be many times when you realize something about your mother tongue you never did. What comes to you naturally is what you easily take for granted. Linguistics changes that!
- Learn some fancy scientific words even if you are not in science!
Linguistics in general is definitely not hardcore science, but you will learn how sounds are produced by knowing the parts of human mouth and vocal cord.
The linguistics courses without prerequisites are LING 100, 101, 200, 201, 209, 433. LING 100, 101, 209 are especially popular for elective options – LING 209 counts for your science credit in the Arts program requirement. Why not give it a try if you ever run into the situation where you don’t know what courses to take? If you are taking/ will be taking 200 or 201, the UBC Speech and Linguistics Student Association (SALSA) is also providing free tutoring during the winter session terms to help students with the course.
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