Why Linguistics?

Most people don’t actively think about it, but the way we use language in our day-to-day lives is almost entirely unconscious. How often do you find yourself thinking about why words connect the way that they do? Do you ever think about how to conjugate a verb before you say it? You actually might; we use over 200 irregular verbs in our everyday conversations so it can be hard to get confused. 

As a language learner myself, I find myself endlessly fascinated with why languages work the way they do, as well as the major differences and discrepancies we can find between them. I think one of the most rewarding parts of my journey so far is being able to understand grammatical concepts that don’t even exist in English. I think it’s so cool that we can rewire our brains to comprehend things that are completely foreign to the way that we view the world.

I really do believe that language is the lens through which we view the world, because every thought and feeling that we have is expressed through it. I won’t be focusing specifically on English grammar here, but instead offering a new perspective by blogging the differences between English and other languages. It’s fascinating, and I hope to share it with you all! 

Questions to Ask:

1. How do we express the same concepts through using different languages?

2. How fluid is syntax?

3. Are plurals a necessary component of any language?

4. What is English missing as a language?

5. What does English have that other languages don’t?

6. Why do ESL learners have an unusually hard time pronouncing English words?

7. Is it “hard” to learn a language? (What actually goes into it?)

8. Is English a more “complicated” language in comparison to others?