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Ask-A-Linguist - Message details
Subject: Learning linguistics.
Question:
Hello. Thank you for this site.

Now, I am an ESL teacher and I want to ask: what is the best way to learn linguistics - that is, the theories behind language acquisition. If I knew this, it would benefit me and my students.

Again, thanks.

Reply:
I join my colleagues Fischer and Pyatt in recommending you take a course or two in basic linguistics and that you consult our archives.

Let me add one caveat, possibly undeserved. You say "learn linguistics -- that is the theories behind language acquisition".

Now this admits of at least two interpretations:

1. the part of linguistics you want to learn are theories directly related to language acquisition.

2. linguistics = theories of language acquisition.

If the former is what you mean, then those aspects of linguistics will mean more to you if you have some general sense of the field.

If No. 2 is what you mean, then linguistics is NOT 'theories of language acquisition". There is much more to linguistics than study of language teaching / learning.

U of Cincinnati
Dept. of Anthropology

Reply From: Joseph F Foster    click here to access email
Date: Oct-26-2009
Other Replies:
  1. Re: Learning linguistics. Susan Fischer    (Oct-26-2009)
  2. Re: Learning linguistics. Robert A Papen    (Oct-26-2009)
  3. Re: Learning linguistics. Elizabeth J Pyatt    (Oct-26-2009)
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