1.1 Linguistics is Science

Essentials of Linguistics3 minutes read

Linguistics is the science of language, using systematic observations to understand how people use language. Linguists take a descriptive approach, studying human language without making value judgments, and highlighting unique articulatory, auditory, and neural systems.

Insights

  • Linguistics is a scientific field that studies how people use language through systematic observations, emphasizing a descriptive approach that avoids imposing judgments or rules on language usage.
  • Linguistics delves into the intricate human systems of articulation, audition, and neural processing that distinguish our ability to produce and comprehend speech, showcasing the distinctiveness of human language capabilities compared to other species.

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Recent questions

  • What is linguistics?

    Study of language, how people use it.

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Summary

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Science of language: observing human communication intricacies.

  • Linguistics is defined as the science of language, involving a scientific approach that includes making systematic, empirical observations to understand how people use language.
  • Linguists take a descriptive approach to language, focusing on observing and understanding how people use language without making value judgments or prescribing how language should be used.
  • Linguistics specifically studies human language, highlighting the unique articulatory, auditory, and neural systems that enable humans to produce and understand speech in a way that sets us apart from other species.
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