Linguistics is a widely underrated field of study

Photo by Carolyn Wang

We take the English language for granted.

Very rarely do we stop and consider why we say “I am going to class” rather than “going to class I am,” (Yoda!) or why we insist on pronouncing been as bin and tough as tuff. Attempts to explain the mechanics and idiosyncrasies of our own language through the NoRedInk online grammar lessons elicit groans from a good portion of the student population. Not to mention the complaints about having to learn how to conjugate dozens of tenses in world language classes.

But if we take a second to think, these concepts are actually quite fascinating. Why do we speak the way we do? Why do we conjugate verbs as we do and have so many underlying and usually unconscious rules in languages?

In fact, these are the underlying questions for an existing, underrated area of study: linguistics. 

Linguistics, the scientific study of language, involves looking at every aspect of language, from its structure to its evolution, and its role in human society. It boasts a variety of different topics ranging from how babies acquire language to machine translation — yet the subject matter is barely touched upon in secondary education. 

An increased awareness about the subject would open up career opportunities, help students develop a better understanding of language structure and foster creativity.

Unlike math or history based subjects which often further the divide between STEM and humanities students, linguistics is interdisciplinary. The scientific study of language implies a mixture of the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities, so it appeals to people of all backgrounds and interests.

For example, students interested in math and computer science can further their exploration of the subjects by studying computational linguistics, the discipline concerned with the analysis of natural language through computational methods. Not only is it widely applicable in growing fields such as Artificial Intelligence, but it is also complementary to more traditional programming and statistics courses. Students who continue to pursue linguistics and computer science in college have a variety of career choices in the tech industry, from machine learning to engineering and data science.

Meanwhile, students who are more interested in social sciences and the humanities will enjoy exploring branches like psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and ethnolinguistics, which are all concerned with how languages’ relate with the individual and society. Pursuing such fields would provide a solid foundation for jobs in government service (such as the FBI), language documentation and fields that require writing skills, including journalism.

A linguistics club or other educational environment that provides a brief overview of all these disciplines would not only attract students with diverse interests, but also expose them to subjects they would normally avoid. STEM-oriented students will have a chance to study how language plays a role in societal and cultural contexts. English and history enthusiasts will get the chance to explore the science behind neurological defects such as aphasia, and the technology behind machine translation and search engines. 

In addition, students who further their knowledge about language structure will generally have an easier time studying English grammar and foreign languages.

Why does Spanish put the adjective after the noun? It all has to do with syntax, the linguistics subfield concerned with the formation of sentences. Why do Chinese immigrants frequently forget their articles, mix up “he” and “she,” or fail to pronounce ending consonants in words such as “that?” Phonetics and phonology, subfields within linguistics that study speech sounds in their physical and cognitive aspects respectively, can explain that.

Most schools force students to take a second language, but rarely do students learn to understand and appreciate the study of language on a broader level. 

Studying syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology and the like would provide students with a more holistic perspective on these specific mechanics behind how language is formed; thus, they will be more attentive and responsive to topics that NoRedInk and VHLCentral try to instill through repetition, often at the expense of student engagement.

However, what ultimately makes the linguistics field special is its ability to promote logical-thinking skills and creativity, specifically in the form of approachable puzzles and olympiads, academic competitions that allow students to tackle challenging problems on a particular subject.

Many students taking subjects like math, physics, chemistry and astronomy take the additional time to pursue in corresponding academic competitions (olympiads). The problem is that since most advanced placement classes focus on AP tests, not all students have the motivation or time to do olympiad competitions, especially since many require vast amounts of additional studying.

Luckily, linguistic puzzles differ in that respect. Because the field is so overlooked in secondary education, olympiad puzzles available on the web are tailored towards students who have no prior knowledge of linguistics. Their format introduces specific topics within the linguistics field that students can figure out using logical reasoning and a bit of creativity.

This makes them accessible challenge-activities that can make studying linguistics fun.

If I told you I’ve transcribed Old Persian tablets, translated Chalcatongo Mixtec (a language spoken by about 6000 people) or translated Japanese braille, you’d think I’m crazy. But these linguistic puzzles, which enable you to do that, are incredibly academically rewarding; within a club, they’d make tremendous learning opportunities.

Other students agree. In a survey on the Saratoga High School 2021-2022 Facebook group, 81% of students who responded would be willing to take a linguistics elective sometime in their four years of high school if it were offered. 

The idea of incorporating linguistics in schools, although relatively obscure, is not unique; other schools have implemented an actual elective course with great degrees of success and positive feedback from students.

By increasing the linguistic-related activities at the school, such as reviving a linguistics club, students would be exposed to an entirely new field. And I mean, wouldn’t it be awesome if you could come out of a class saying you had read a Sri Lankan newspaper or analyzed the language structure of a Vietnamese restaurant menu?