Linguistics

prevan recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Because I love it

Johann-Kirby recommended this 1 year, 11 months ago

Because you understand a language if you're reading this. If you can understand a language, why not try to understand language?

rsperkins recommended this 2 years ago

This stuff teaches you critical thinking like not many other things do. Also, don't judge it by just Chomsky--we all know that it's absurd to think that linguistic should study 'an ideal speaker-listener who knows their language perfectly and who is unaffected by grammatically irrelevant conditions like memory limitations, distractions, shifts of attention, and errors (random or characteristic).'

tara_edwards recommended this 2 years, 1 month ago

I had studied linguistics--improved my thinking and analyzing skills. It let me see patterns in languages
Cons: It is very hard to find work in that major, and some folks are in PhD programs and have no idea what they are doing after. May need to create a job or apply it to some other field

remade recommended this 3 years, 4 months ago

Amazing and very much needed major. The people who really understand a language are in the best place to really understand a culture.
Cons: Not really one for me as while I am required to learn languages, it's actually quite difficult for me.

abt1990 recommended this 3 years, 5 months ago

I'm applying to uni in February, and one of the things I was thinking about is Linguistics... so I might give it a try. :) I love learning new languages, and I can imagine myself working with them.
Cons: You might not get a job, because if you're not ambitious enough other Linguists will edge you out of it. :(

chelsar recommended this 3 years, 11 months ago

I'm a linguistics major already! I didn't expect it to be on the list. For me, it's a very broad major with many different paths.
Cons: People assume you're a polyglot or a grammar fanatic. Technically, neither is required. Linguistics programs tend to lack in state schools and more popular in private universities

elementary_rat recommended this 3 years, 11 months ago

Linguistics allows one to study broadly (a language family, for instance) or narrowly (one phonological structure in one language).
Cons: Increasingly linguistics is a theoretical field with less fieldwork and more armchair time. There is also a tendency for linguistics to exotify what they study.