1.1 Linguistics is Science

Summary

Linguistics, the scientific study of language, employs a systematic and empirical approach to observe and analyze how people use language without making value judgments. Unlike prescriptive methods, linguists take a descriptive stance, focusing on what people do with language rather than dictating how they should. The field is unique in its focus on human language, highlighting our specialized articulatory, auditory, and neural systems that enable complex communication unlike any other species.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Linguistics is defined as the science of language, which involves systematic and empirical observations.
• 🧪 The scientific approach in linguistics does not require a lab but a methodical way of asking questions about language.
• 📊 Empirical observations in linguistics mean that linguists base their theories on observable data, similar to other scientists.
• 🚫 Linguists avoid value judgments and focus on describing language use rather than prescribing how it should be used.
• 🔍 The descriptive approach in linguistics aligns with the scientific method, focusing on observation and theory development.
• 🐞 Analogous to an entomologist studying beetles, linguists observe language use to understand why certain patterns exist.
• 🌐 Linguistics specifically focuses on human language, distinguishing it from communication systems of other species.
• 🗣️ Human language is unique due to our articulatory system, which allows for the production of speech in ways no other species can.
• 👂 The human auditory system is specialized for the frequencies found in human speech, even more so than synthetic speech.
• 🧠 The human brain's complexity and neural connections dedicated to language set us apart from other species in our language abilities.

Q & A

What is the definition of linguistics as described in the script?

Linguistics is defined as the science of language, which involves a systematic, empirical approach to studying how people use language.

What does it mean for linguistics to be considered a science?

Being a science means that linguistics uses a systematic and empirical method to ask questions and gather evidence for theories about language, rather than requiring a laboratory setting.

How does empirical observation play a role in linguistics?

Empirical observation in linguistics involves observing data to find evidence for theories, similar to how other scientists observe phenomena in their respective fields.

What is the difference between a descriptive and prescriptive approach to language, as mentioned in the script?

A descriptive approach involves documenting and analyzing how language is actually used, while a prescriptive approach involves making judgments and setting rules for how language 'should' be used.

Why don't linguists make value judgments about language use?

Linguists avoid value judgments to maintain a scientific perspective, focusing on describing language use without prescribing how it should be used.

How does the script illustrate the difference between a linguist's and an entomologist's approach to their subjects?

Both linguists and entomologists observe their subjects (language use and beetle behavior, respectively) and develop theories based on those observations without making value judgments.

What unique systems enable humans to produce speech, as highlighted in the script?

Humans have a unique articulatory system including lungs, larynx, vocal folds, and the shape of the tongue, teeth, lips, and nose, which enable speech production.

Why is the human auditory system considered special in the context of linguistics?

The human auditory system is sensitive to the frequencies most common in human speech, which is a unique adaptation that aids in language processing.

How does the neural system contribute to the uniqueness of human language ability?

The human brain has a complex and densely connected neural system with many connections dedicated to producing and understanding language, which is not found in other species.

What distinguishes human language from communication systems of other species, according to the script?

Human language is distinguished by its unique articulatory, auditory, and neural systems, which are not found in other species and enable the complex use of language.

What is the main focus of linguistics as a scientific discipline?

The main focus of linguistics is to study the unique system of human language, including its production, understanding, and the differences from other species' communication systems.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Introduction to Linguistics

Linguistics is defined as the science of language, which employs a systematic and empirical approach to study language use without making value judgments. Unlike prescriptivists who dictate how language should be used, linguists adopt a descriptive approach, observing and theorizing about language phenomena. The uniqueness of human language is highlighted, emphasizing the human articulatory, auditory, and neural systems that enable complex language production and comprehension, setting it apart from other species' communication systems.

Keywords

💡Linguistics

Linguistics is defined as the science of language. It is the academic discipline that studies the nature, structure, and variation of language. In the video, linguistics is portrayed as a scientific approach to understanding how language works, which includes systematic and empirical observations of language use.

💡Science

In the context of the video, 'science' refers to the systematic and methodical approach used to study language, rather than implying the need for laboratory equipment. It emphasizes the use of empirical observations and evidence-based theories, which is a crucial aspect of the scientific method as applied to linguistics.

💡Empirical

Empirical in the video script means relying on observable and measurable evidence, data, or experience to understand language. Linguists make empirical observations about how people use language, as opposed to making value judgments or prescribing how language should be used.

💡Descriptive approach

A descriptive approach in linguistics involves documenting and analyzing the actual use of language by speakers without prescribing how it should be used. This is contrasted with a prescriptive approach, which dictates correct or incorrect usage. The video emphasizes that linguists describe language as it is used, not as it 'should' be used.

💡Articulatory system

The articulatory system refers to the physical components involved in speech production, including the lungs, larynx, vocal folds, tongue, teeth, lips, and nose. The video highlights that humans have a unique articulatory system that enables complex speech production, setting us apart from other species.

💡Auditory system

The auditory system in the context of the video pertains to the human ability to hear and process sounds, particularly those frequencies common in human speech. It is noted that human newborns are particularly attuned to human speech, which is a unique feature of our species.

💡Neural system

The neural system mentioned in the video refers to the complex and specialized structure of the human brain, which includes a vast network of connections dedicated to language production and comprehension. This system is what makes human language ability distinct from other forms of communication found in nature.

💡Communication

Communication is a broad term that encompasses the exchange of information or ideas. In the video, it is used to contrast human language with other forms of communication found in the animal kingdom, emphasizing the unique and complex nature of human language.

💡Theories

Theories in linguistics are used to explain patterns and phenomena observed in language. The video script mentions that linguists develop theories based on empirical observations to understand why people use certain words or sounds and not others.

💡Observations

Observations are a fundamental part of the scientific method in linguistics. The video describes how linguists make systematic observations about language use to gather data and evidence that inform their theories, similar to how other scientists observe phenomena in their fields.

💡Prescriptive approach

A prescriptive approach to language is one that dictates rules for 'correct' language use. The video contrasts this with the descriptive approach of linguists, who focus on documenting and analyzing language as it is used, rather than prescribing how it should be used.

Highlights

Linguistics is the science of language.

Linguistics uses a scientific approach to ask questions about language.

Empirical observations are a key part of linguistics, meaning data is observed for evidence.

Linguists observe how people use language, not making value judgments.

Linguistics has a descriptive approach, not a prescriptive one.

Linguists describe language use without prescribing how it should be used.

The scientific method in linguistics involves observing and developing theories about language.

Linguistics focuses on the unique system of human language.

Humans have an articulatory system that enables speech production unlike any other species.

The human auditory system is specialized for the frequencies common in human speech.

Human newborns show a preference for human speech over synthetic speech.

The human neural system is unique in its complexity and connections dedicated to language.

Linguistics studies the differences that make human language unique compared to other species' communication.

Linguistics is the scientific study of the human language ability.

The scientific method in linguistics is consistent with observing and understanding without judgment.

Linguistics is distinct from other sciences by its focus on the human language system.

Transcripts

Linguistics is one of those subjects that not many people have heard of, so you

might well be wondering exactly what it is. The simplest definition of

linguistics is that it's the science of language. That's a simple definition but

it includes some pretty important words. First, when we say that linguistics is a

science, it doesn't mean you need a lab coat and safety goggles to do

linguistics. Instead, what it means is the way we ask questions to learn about

language uses a scientific approach. The scientific way of thinking about

language involves making systematic, empirical observations. There's another

important word. Empirical means that we observe data to find the evidence for

our theories. All scientists make empirical observations. Botanists observe

how plants grow and reproduce. Chemists observe how substances interact with

each other. Linguists observe how people use their language. A crucial thing to

keep in mind is that the observations we make about language use are not value

judgements. Lots of people in the world like your high school English teacher,

various newspaper columnists, maybe your grandparents, and maybe even some of your

friends make judgments about how people use language, but linguists don't.

A shorthand way of saying this is that linguists have a descriptive approach to

language, not a prescriptive approach. We describe what people do with their

language, but we don't prescribe how they should or shouldn't do it. This

descriptive approach is consistent with a scientific way of thinking. Think about

an entomologist who studies beetles. Imagine that scientist observes that a

species of beetle eats leaves, She's not going to judge that the beetles are

eating wrong and tell them that they'd be more successful in life if only they

ate the same thing as the ants. No, she observes what the beetle eats and tries

to figure out why. She develops a theory of why the beetle eats this plant and

not that one. In the same way linguists observe what people

say, and how they say it, and come up with theories of why people say certain

things, or make certain sounds, but not others. In our simple definition of

linguistics there's another important word we need to focus on. Linguistics is

the science of human language. There are plenty of species that communicate with

each other in an impressive variety of ways, but in linguistics our job is to

focus on the unique system that humans use. It turns out that humans have some

important differences to all other species that make our language unique.

First, what we call the articulatory system: our lungs, larynx, and vocal folds,

the shape of our tongue, teeth, lips, and nose all enable us to produce speech. No

other species can do this in the way we can not even our closest genetic

relatives the chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans. Second, our auditory system

is special. Our ears are sensitive to exactly the frequencies that are most

common in human speech. There are other species that have similar patterns of

auditory sensitivity, but human newborns pay special attention to human speech,

even more so than synthetic speech that's matched for acoustic

characteristics. And most important of all, our neural system is special. No

other species has a brain as complex and densely connected as ours with so many

connections dedicated to producing and understanding language. Human's language

ability is different from all other species communication systems, and

linguistics is the science that studies this unique ability.