It's funny--we talk about "Theory of Mind," where kids learn that other people exist (essentially), but it doesn't seem to extend that far out. And despite all the data we have today that proves the world outside us exists, and is interwoven with ours, it's still sometimes difficult to wrap around. So...if these help that...YAY.
See, that's what got me, too--or rather, an article on the history of English, and how language changes over time. I was fascinated and stunned and so excited...and poof, now I'm a linguist. :) History, in context, can be really, really exciting sometimes.
Yes! That article was fascinating, and I hope more fieldwork is done. The grad students here have talked about how you have all these little displaced language communities that are known about but not really studied--and it turns out they're a gold mine. Awesome, no?
I have to say though, that considering English orthography and based on what I've encountered with the adult non-readers at the literacy center I volunteer at, phonology is non-trivial and should definitely be focused on for kids learning to read and write, up through elementary school. Ooh, I know, we can just swap it out one-to-one for all the time currently spent on "spelling"! I swear to god, we did spelling through eighth grade. >_< Sociolinguistics would also be awesome, since it deals with practical, real-world situations and encompasses so many unacknowledged race and class and education issues (thus ensuring it will never be taught!). I would like at least SOME acknowledgement that what people call "unaccented" English is really just one dialect among many. Oh, and maybe we could teach people how to use dictionaries and understand language change, instead of insisting that the way 90% of a population uses a word is "wrong
( ... )
Heh, but when many people think of "phonology," they think "phonemes and allophones," and based on the Ling 101 students, this is a brain breaker at the college level. So it'd have to be approached in a different way, I think, to put it in an English class (not to mention reassure people that a) no really, English spelling IS hard and b) it's not the worst system out there, either) or some sort of English class. But my Lord, yes, I had phonics in 3rd grade and bombed that shit. There's gotta be a better way to teach it, given that we don't actually read on the phonemic level much anyways. Catch up
( ... )
Comments 17
(The comment has been removed)
Reply
For me, it was the week or two of English etymology studies in grade 9 that ultimately sparked my linguistics major in undergrad.
By the way, this was more of a "general awareness" article than one that had any groundbreaking points, but still interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/nyregion/29lost.html?src=me&ref=nyregion
Reply
See, that's what got me, too--or rather, an article on the history of English, and how language changes over time. I was fascinated and stunned and so excited...and poof, now I'm a linguist. :) History, in context, can be really, really exciting sometimes.
Yes! That article was fascinating, and I hope more fieldwork is done. The grad students here have talked about how you have all these little displaced language communities that are known about but not really studied--and it turns out they're a gold mine. Awesome, no?
Reply
I have to say though, that considering English orthography and based on what I've encountered with the adult non-readers at the literacy center I volunteer at, phonology is non-trivial and should definitely be focused on for kids learning to read and write, up through elementary school. Ooh, I know, we can just swap it out one-to-one for all the time currently spent on "spelling"! I swear to god, we did spelling through eighth grade. >_< Sociolinguistics would also be awesome, since it deals with practical, real-world situations and encompasses so many unacknowledged race and class and education issues (thus ensuring it will never be taught!). I would like at least SOME acknowledgement that what people call "unaccented" English is really just one dialect among many. Oh, and maybe we could teach people how to use dictionaries and understand language change, instead of insisting that the way 90% of a population uses a word is "wrong ( ... )
Reply
Heh, but when many people think of "phonology," they think "phonemes and allophones," and based on the Ling 101 students, this is a brain breaker at the college level. So it'd have to be approached in a different way, I think, to put it in an English class (not to mention reassure people that a) no really, English spelling IS hard and b) it's not the worst system out there, either) or some sort of English class. But my Lord, yes, I had phonics in 3rd grade and bombed that shit. There's gotta be a better way to teach it, given that we don't actually read on the phonemic level much anyways. Catch up ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment