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[surrey_sucks]

This semester I'm taking a linguistics course, LING 101: Languages of the World. It's not what I was expecting--I thought we'd be learning about how different languages are related and the history of languages, I suppose--but I am enjoying the class, and learning a lot. We're learning IPA, which I find quite interesting, as I never knew how to

Comments

[cybermule]

I did a linguistics course - it was cool :) I also did Latin at school, and despite what they told me, it was way more useful than German :P

[surrey_sucks]

If you're in the sciences, Latin is very useful!

[winterlion]

I would love to learn that. I've encountered IPA "in the field" (as it were) but have never formally learnt it - so every time I usually have to look the sounds up.
I would love to learn a lot more Latin too.

Cheers!

[surrey_sucks]

Well, maybe at the end of the term I can give you some basic notes on IPA.

[winterlion]

Yes please! :)

[surrey_sucks]

I will try and remember! But I don't have time right now, of course!

[surrey_sucks]

The more we learn, the more complicated it gets!

We're also learning a few words in various languages. If you're learning a new language, IPA is really helpful in getting the pronunciation down!

[kewpiedoll]

That is *way* cool!

[surrey_sucks]

It's like a secret code!

[givemesodapop]

I'm trying to wrap my brain around Russian. Or, failing that, Shorthand.

[iluvhyperboles]

I was dead set on doing literature as a major (to then teach literature once I was finished w school) until I sat in on a linguistics class in an open house before I attended the university I did. In that 50 minutes I changed my mind. Unfortunately, this was the only linguistics class so it wasn't like I could major in it, but BOY was it fun! I took a French phonetics class, too, and I learned SO much because of the phonetic alphabet (the French phonetic alphabet is a tiny bit different from IPA).

I was actually looking into studying neurolinguistics (the University of Maryland at College Park has this Cognitive Neuroscience of Language lab!!!!!) but I am really a dumbass when it comes to science (as much as I love love love science, I don't get good marks in it).

So now I look at linguistics as a hobby and I buy many books about it (though I never get a chance to read them #%(@%2). I am so glad you've discovered the coolness of this subject!

[surrey_sucks]

Neurolinguistics? Never heard of that, but science + languages sounds right up my alley!