Essentials of Linguistics (Anderson)

This text brings together Open Access content from around the web and enhances it with dynamic video lectures about the core areas of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics), supplemented with discussion of psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic findings. Essentials of Linguistics is suitable for any beginning learner of linguistics but is primarily aimed at the Canadian learner, focusing on Canadian English for learning phonetic transcription, and discussing the status of Indigenous languages in Canada. Drawing on best practices for instructional design, Essentials of Linguistics is suitable for blended classes, traditional lecture classes, and for self-directed learning.

Linguistics is Science

This unit introduces the idea of thinking scientifically about language by making empirical observations rather than judgments of correctness.

Check Yourself

1. What does it mean to say that Linguistics is a science?

• The field consists of a set of true facts that can be proven objectively.
• The field uses the scientific method to determine objective rankings of language quality.
• The field uses empirical observations to develop theories of language behaviour.

2. Each of the following sentences represents something someone might say about language. Which of them illustrates a descriptive view of language?

• The use of quotative like in sentences such as, “She was like, I can’t believe you did that!” began to enter Canadian English with the generation of speakers born in 1971.
• The song “I can’t get no satisfaction” should really mean that “I can get some satisfaction” because two negatives always make a positive.

In a phrase like, “the people who the bride invited to the wedding,” it’s proper to use whom rather than who.

3. Which of the following kinds of data would a linguist be likely to observe?

• Which method is most effective to help a child stop stuttering.
• Whether Korean includes tones that change the meaning of words.
• How many undergraduates can correctly use the words affect and effect in their essays.
• If second-language speakers can pronounce English words correctly.