Misconceptions about linguistics
Download as DOCX, PDF6 likes8,638 views
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, but there are several common misconceptions about what linguistics entails. It is not purely a natural science or social science, but lies between the two. While linguists study languages, they do not need to know many languages themselves. Linguistics also examines more than just grammar, involving the study of sounds, words, meaning, and language use in society. Findings in linguistics also vary between languages and over time as viewpoints change. Linguistics encompasses both historical changes in language and synchronic study of current language features and systems.
Misconceptions about linguistics
- 1. Misconceptions about Linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It includes the study of grammar, syntax, and phonetics. Specific branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, dialectology, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, comparative linguistics, and structural linguistics. It is major divisible into micro and macro linguistics. Micro Linguistics (Phonetics (how speech sounds are produced, transmitted, and perceived), Phonology (how sound functions in the speech sound), Morphology (how words are form), Semantics (how meanings are created), Pragmatics (how we use language in our everyday life). Macro Linguistics (Sociolinguistics (studies the role of language in society), Psycholinguistics (studies how language is processed in mind), Neurolinguistics (deals the underlying neurological structures and processes), Computational linguistics (studies with the use of computer to model human language processing), Mathematical Linguistics (discusses the mathematical properties of human language grammar), Historical Linguistics (studies the history of language change), Philosophical Linguistics (it studies the state of reality and being as related to and reflected in language), Political Linguistics (it discusses the language policies with politics), Applied Linguistics(it discusses the use of linguistics in language teaching, analysis of style and speech therapy)). Linguistics is a new branch of knowledge in our educational system for studying knowledge with modern principles, and is undoubtedly relatively recent phenomena. It has various misconceptions about the nature of this subject in its beginning. Yet, the subject has been developing very rapidly the years and has got a fortified situation at educational institution almost all over the world. Many people have some misconceptions about Linguistics. Here we are clarifying some of the misconceptions about Linguistics.
- 2. There is a misconception that linguistics is a pure science, but this is not so, because it has a place between natural science and social science. As natural science it evolves our mouth and articulatory organs and as a social science it evolves our interaction in society through speech sounds. There is a misconception that linguistics is the knowledge of many languages. A person who knows many languages is called linguist. But this is not true. A linguist may only know one language, or several languages, or mastery of a particular language. What they try to study are the ways in which language is fulfilled to organize human needs, as a system of communication. He studies only general principles of language organization and language behavior and referred to some actual use of language, but a person who knows many languages is called polyglot now a days. Bilingualism is, undoubtedly an asset but it doesn’t ensure any systematic knowledge about functioning of a language. Thus Polyglotism remains the outer limit of Linguistics. There is a misconception that linguistics is a pure science, but it is not true because it doesn’t involve any kind of accurate results. It studies human behavior not chemicals. It studies that how a human use language in society. It also links human mental process. There is a misconception that linguistics is only the study of grammar but it is not so because it doesn’t only study grammar. As grammar is limited one, and doesn’t beyond the analysis of language at sentence level particularly with regard to speech information but in linguistics minimal unit is phoneme and maximal unit is discourse. There is a misconception that finding of linguistics are applicable to all languages across the world but it is not true
- 3. because viewpoints and theoretical models in this field even changes from time to time and from language to language. Linguistics is thought to be only a historical study as it searches for the development of language. However, this notion is baseless because historical study follows how language is originated and how it comes to this level. But in linguistics it is not just historical study as it studies other aspects such as word formation, vocabulary, morphology, syntax and phonetics. Linguistics is the science of language but it is not true because it not only deals with the scientific aspects of language it also has broaden its roots to Sociology (how we interact with others in a society), Psychology (how we acquire language), Anthropology (how we interact in culture with language) etc. There is a misconception that linguistics is essentially a literary criticism. But it is not true because the aim of literary criticism is to describe, interpret, and evaluate a piece of literature. It does all this references to particular literary norms in conformity with the certain school of thought. It is based on personal taste. It studies subjectivity. But in linguistics a linguist studies a language on scientific and objective grounds. There is misconception that linguistics is thought to be the philosophy of language only. But the case is otherwise, philosophy only discusses issues whereas linguistics deals not only language but other fields like psychology, anthropology etc. There is a misconception that linguistics is rhetoric but both are two different things because in linguistics a person studies the scientific aspects of language but a rhetorician tries to create a particular effect on the minds of the people. He uses words for special purpose. The object of rhetoric is to pursue the people to a specific point of view. For this purpose the rhetorician
- 4. makes a selective use of language which he thinks will fulfill this purpose. There is a misconception that a linguist knows everything about language but it is not so because a linguist studies in a particular field e.g. Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, etc. There is a misconception that linguistics and language learning are same thing. It is not true because in past the language scholars suggested the methods and techniques for language learning but they were mainly far from scientific approach. Modern linguistics has a special branch for that called Psycholinguistics devoted to study the process involved learning of L1 and L2. It has its own theories, methods and techniques for the investigation of language learning, it is highly scientific, empirical and objective in its approach. There is a misconception that linguistics is a pure science but it is not so because first of all it studies human behavior not chemicals and secondly its methods of analysis are different from pure sciences like Chemistry, Physics, Biology etc.