Linguistics as a Science

Summary

In this video, Moti Lieberman from the Ling Space explores the scientific nature of linguistics. Highlighting the commonalities across languages and their biological roots, Lieberman explains how linguistics uses scientific methods like hypothesizing and experimentation to understand language's structure and use. From neurolinguistic testing to psycholinguistic research, the video showcases how linguistics, like physics, builds theories and tests them against data, revealing the intricate workings of human communication.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Science is integral to our daily lives, influencing transportation, health, and communication technologies like online video.
• 📚 Linguistics is a scientific discipline that studies language, its structure, and usage, despite its often non-experimental nature.
• 🌐 Language is a universal biological and social phenomenon, with commonalities found across all languages.
• 🧠 Neurolinguistic testing, using fMRI and electrode caps, is a clear example of science in action within linguistics.
• 👀 Psycholinguistic research observes how people's behavior interacts with language, such as attention and interpretation of sentences.
• 📊 Linguistic science provides experimental data that supports observations about language, like the ability to fill in missing sounds.
• 👶 Linguistics research includes studying infants' reactions to language, revealing innate linguistic capabilities.
• 🧐 Theoretical work in linguistics, like syntax and phonology, informs experiments and contributes to the scientific method.
• 🌟 Syntax aims to describe the structure of every language, capturing variation and similarities through systematic testing.
• 📈 Linguistics has evolved with time, refining explanations for linguistic phenomena since the advent of generative grammar.
• 🎓 Theoretical linguistics, including 'armchair' judgments, has been validated through extensive experimental testing, proving its scientific reliability.

Q & A

What does the speaker argue about the relationship between science and linguistics?

The speaker argues that linguistics is a science, emphasizing that the study of language involves scientific methods such as hypothesizing, experimenting, and careful judgment, which are fundamental to all scientific disciplines.

How does the speaker describe the role of science in our daily lives?

The speaker illustrates that science plays a significant role in our daily lives, influencing everything from transportation to our health and longevity, and even enabling communication through technology like online video.

What is the significance of neurolinguistic testing in the field of linguistics?

Neurolinguistic testing is significant in linguistics as it involves measuring brain activity using tools like fMRI machines or electrode caps, providing insights into how the human brain processes language, which is a clear demonstration of scientific methodology in action.

Can you explain the concept of psycholinguistic research mentioned in the script?

Psycholinguistic research involves studying the interaction between people's behavior and language. It can include measuring how people's attention is directed when they encounter ambiguous language or how they interpret complex sentences, providing valuable data on language processing.

What is one of the speaker's favorite discoveries in psycholinguistic research?

One of the speaker's favorite discoveries is the ability of native speakers to ignore errors or missing data in language and still make sense of what they are hearing or reading, demonstrating the remarkable capacity of the human language processing system.

How do experiments underlie much of linguistics research according to the script?

Experiments are fundamental to linguistics research as they allow researchers to study language development in infants, isolate specific sentence structures that people with aphasia struggle with, and gather unbiased judgments about language without subjects realizing the true purpose of the study.

What is the role of theoretical work in linguistics as opposed to experimental work?

Theoretical work in linguistics involves developing and proposing rules and structures to explain language phenomena without necessarily conducting experiments in a lab. Theories inform the design of experiments and contribute to the understanding of language through abstract concepts like syntax and phonology.

How does the speaker compare the scientific method applied in linguistics to that in physics?

The speaker compares linguistics to physics by pointing out that both fields involve observing phenomena, proposing hypotheses, making predictions, and then testing those predictions through further analysis and experimentation, highlighting the universality of the scientific method across different disciplines.

What is the mission of syntax in linguistics as described in the script?

The mission of syntax in linguistics is to develop a system that describes the structure of every language in the world, capturing all the variations, meanings, and deep similarities to understand the abstract structures that underlie language.

How has the field of linguistics evolved since the advent of generative linguistics?

Since the advent of generative linguistics in the 1950s, the field has evolved by refining explanations for various linguistic phenomena, developing constraints for language use, and providing explanations for complex sentence structures, demonstrating the dynamic nature of scientific understanding in linguistics.

What is the significance of the 'armchair linguist' technique in theoretical linguistics?

The 'armchair linguist' technique involves making judgments about language based on personal intuitions, which has been validated through scientific testing. The validity of these judgments has been confirmed in a significant majority of cases, showing that theoretical linguistics can yield reliable results.

How does the speaker encourage the appreciation and understanding of linguistics as a science?

The speaker encourages the appreciation of linguistics as a science by highlighting its accessibility and the availability of free resources for psycholinguistic testing. They emphasize that engaging with linguistics can deepen one's understanding of the scientific method and the nature of language.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 The Interplay of Science and Linguistics

This paragraph introduces the concept that linguistics, the scientific study of language, shares the same methodological rigor as other sciences. It emphasizes the social and biological significance of language, highlighting its role in defining communities and influencing culture. The speaker, Moti Lieberman, explains that linguistics uses the scientific method, including hypothesizing and experimentation, to uncover the rules governing language. The paragraph also touches on neurolinguistic and psycholinguistic research, showcasing how technology like fMRI machines is used to study brain activity related to language, and how behavioral observations contribute to our understanding of language processing.

05:01

🌐 The Scientific Method in Linguistics

The second paragraph delves deeper into the scientific nature of linguistics, discussing the empirical and theoretical aspects of the field. It describes how syntacticians use the scientific method to formulate hypotheses about sentence structures and test these against linguistic data from various languages. The paragraph also addresses the historical development of linguistics, referencing Noam Chomsky's generative linguistics and the evolution of the field. Furthermore, it discusses the validity of armchair linguistic techniques, where linguists rely on their intuitions to make judgments about sentence structures, and how these judgments have been supported by experimental data. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the importance of linguistics in scientific literacy and its potential as an accessible tool for teaching the scientific method.

Keywords

💡Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. In the context of the video, science is portrayed as integral to understanding various aspects of life, including communication and language. The script emphasizes that science underlies linguistics, which is often overlooked as a scientific discipline.

💡Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure. It encompasses the analysis of how language is used, the physical properties of speech, and the social context of language. The video script positions linguistics as a science, highlighting its methods and findings that contribute to our understanding of human communication.

💡Social Value

Social value refers to the worth or importance of something within a society or community. In the script, the term is used to describe the impact of science, including linguistics, on various social aspects such as transportation, health, and cultural expression. It underscores the significance of scientific contributions to societal development and well-being.

💡Neurolinguistic Testing

Neurolinguistic testing involves the use of neuroimaging techniques like fMRI or EEG to study the neural mechanisms underlying language processing. The script mentions this as an example of how linguistics employs scientific methods to investigate the brain's involvement in language, thereby reinforcing the scientific nature of linguistics.

💡Psycholinguistics

Psycholinguistics is the study of the cognitive processes underlying language comprehension and production. It is highlighted in the script as a field within linguistics that observes and measures how people interact with language, providing insights into the cognitive aspects of linguistic phenomena.

💡Syntax

Syntax is a subfield of linguistics concerned with the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. The video script discusses syntax in the context of theoretical linguistics, where abstract structures or 'trees' are used to explain the organization of sentence components and their meanings.

💡Phonology

Phonology is the study of the system of sounds (phonemes) in a language and the rules governing their arrangement. While not explicitly mentioned in the script, phonology is implied in the discussion of sound systems and the rules that govern them, which is a key aspect of linguistic science.

💡Hypothesizing

Hypothesizing is the process of forming a tentative explanation or prediction to be tested by further investigation. The script describes hypothesizing as a fundamental tool in scientific inquiry, including linguistics, where hypotheses about language structure and use are formulated and tested.

💡Experimental Data

Experimental data refers to the results or information obtained from conducting experiments. The video script uses the term to emphasize the empirical basis of linguistic research, where observations and measurements are made to support or refute linguistic theories.

💡Intuitions

In the context of linguistics, intuitions refer to the native speaker's inherent sense of what is grammatically correct or natural in their language. The script discusses how linguists rely on these intuitions as a starting point for theorizing about language structure, and how they have been validated through scientific testing.

💡Generative Grammar

Generative grammar is a theory of linguistic structure that seeks to explain the ability of speakers to produce an infinite number of sentences from a finite set of rules. The script mentions Noam Chomsky's work in generative grammar as a significant development in the field of linguistics, shaping our understanding of language.

Highlights

Science is integral to our daily lives, influencing transportation and health.

Linguistics is a scientific discipline, despite its cultural and aesthetic significance.

Language is part of our biological heritage with commonalities across all languages.

Linguistics uses scientific methods like hypothesizing and experimentation.

Neurolinguistic testing, such as fMRI and electrode caps, is a clear application of science in linguistics.

Psycholinguistic research observes behavior and language interaction, providing insights into cognitive processes.

People can often ignore errors or missing data in language, demonstrating the robustness of language comprehension.

Linguistic experiments are refined and include studies on infants' reactions to language.

Theoretical work in linguistics informs experimental design and contributes to scientific understanding.

Syntax studies abstract sentence structures, aiming to describe the structure of every language.

Linguistic theories are vetted by peers and editors, ensuring reliability and scientific validity.

Linguistics has evolved since Chomsky's generative linguistics, refining explanations for various phenomena.

Linguistic intuitions from native speakers are often reliable and align with experimental data.

Linguistics is an accessible field for teaching scientific methods without the need for complex equipment.

The Ling Space promotes scientific literacy in linguistics and encourages public engagement with language science.

Linguistics outreach is growing, highlighting the importance of understanding language as a scientific endeavor.

The Ling Space is produced with a team effort, showcasing the collaborative nature of scientific communication.

Transcripts

So let’s talk about science. Science is awesome and important and it holds

a lot of social value. It influences everything from how we get around to how long and healthy

our lives are. Even my being able to talk with you right now,

through the marvel of online video? You can thank science for that. But wait, isn’t

this a channel about linguistics? Well, you might never have thought of it this

way, but linguistics is a science too. I’m Moti Lieberman, and this is the Ling Space.

When you think about language and how people study it, science is probably not the first

thing that comes to mind. After all, you don’t really need to do science to it for it to

be meaningful. Language is beautiful and vital, it ties into

our culture, in our literature, our poetry and our music.

Just as we can appreciate a spectacular night sky without worrying about astronomy, or a

butterfly without thinking about how its wings work, we don’t need linguistics to appreciate

the way that people use language. We can just enjoy the style of a writer’s

individual voice, or the rhythmic flow of a well-turned set of syllables.

But the thing is, whether or not you realize it, the science is always there inside language!

It’s part our biological heritage, and we find a ton of things in common across every language

of the world. And it’s a really key social and cultural

institution, too, that can define communities and sell products and start wars.

But all the different parts of language work according to rules that we can describe,

and if we want to do that, science is how we make it happen.

We need the same tools of hypothesizing, experimenting, carefully judging, and reworking that make

up the backbone of science the world over.

Now, the case for linguistics as a science is maybe at its strongest when you look at something

like neurolinguistic testing. If you’re sticking someone in an fMRI machine

or an electrode cap, and you’re measuring their brain activity, that just screams “science

is happening!” And we’ve learned a ton about the human brain and how it does its

crazy language thing by using those kinds of techniques.

We can say the same thing about psycholinguistic research, too. There’s a lot we can observe

about people’s behaviour and how it interacts with language.

We can measure how people look around a visual space when they listen to a sentence, or where

their attention goes first when they hear something ambiguous.

We can learn what kinds of sentences are easier or harder for people to construct by looking

at how quickly they interpret them, or by checking where in a complicated sentence they

get hung up. We can see how people’s systems of sound

work by playing them words that are mixed with background noise or static, or chopped

up in different ways.

Some of the data from psycholinguistic research is pretty amazing.

So like, one of my favourite discoveries is how people can just ignore errors or missing

data and make sense of what they’re hearing or reading anyway.

The power of native speakers to overcome probems is so huge that even when we just cut out sounds

from words completely, on purpose, they have no trouble filling in the blanks.

A lot of the time, they don’t even realize that anything was missing! How many of you

noticed that there wasn’t an /l/ when I said “problems” earlier? Did it stop you from

understanding the rest of the sentence? If you’re a native English speaker, chances

are that even if you were eagle-eared enough to hear it, you just skimmed right on by without

thinking about it. And thanks to linguistic science, we have all the experimental data

we need to back this observation up.

So experiments actually underlie a lot of linguistics research. And our tools and techniques

are pretty refined, too. We’ve studied how super tiny infants react

to language, before they can even speak. We’ve isolated the exact kind of sentences

that people with aphasia have problems with, so we can figure out precisely what language impairments

are made of.

We can even get unbiased judgments from people about language without them realizing what

we’re trying to do. The number of techniques and methods for examining

language is pretty huge, and it keeps growing as we find new ways to address the questions

we’re interested in.

But linguistics isn’t all experiments, though. A lot of the work that gets done is theoretical,

with nary a lab in sight. The trees that we build in syntax or the rules that we describe in phonology

don’t really seem like science, right? Where’s the science when you’re just sitting

there and thinking, “Hmmm, this sentence is beautiful and perfect, and this other one

is terrible garbage. I’m going to explain why by proposing a rule to divide them!”

Well, the theories we come up with about how language works inform all the experiments

that we do. Compare it to something like physics. In both fields, phenomena happen all the time,

whether we’re studying it or not. Stuff speeds up when it falls, and mouths

move to make speech sounds. And when you research those phenomena, you

get a body of data about how the world works – either physical movements and forces, or the

positions and vibrations of your articulators.

Both physicists and linguists then apply the scientific method to that data: with the

sum of their understanding, they’ll propose a hypothesis that explains what they’ve

observed. They’ll make predictions based on that proposal, and then see whether those

predictions are met, based on further analysis and experimentation.

Let’s see how that works for something like syntax.

A syntactician may like words and morphemes, but what they really care about are the abstract

structures underneath, the skeletons that the meanings are built from.

We can’t see these trees that form the base for our sentences, any more than the naked

eye can see an electron. But we can see the effects that different

kinds of proposed structures have on the world. We can see what changes in meaning happen

when you build one kind of tree rather than another, or when swapping things around makes

something bad.

The mission of syntax is ultimately to come up with a system that describes the structure

of every language in the world. All the variation, all the kinds of meanings,

all the deep similarities, we need to capture all of that.

And so to verify a syntactic hypothesis, we need to test it against as many languages

as we can find, and then adjust our thinking as we get more data. Science!

And just like other sciences, what we know about linguistics and how we think of it has

changed over time. Since Noam Chomsky kicked off the generative

linguistic parade in the 1950s, we’ve worked out and refined explanations for all kinds

of phenomena.

You want to know whether you should use a pronoun or not in Japanese or Italian, to

get the exact meaning you want? We’ve come up with a constraint for that. You want an

explanation for why you can’t say “The operating system said the woman should listen

to itself”? We’ve worked that out, too.

But let’s come back to that syntactician, just sitting around trying to figure out where

to start. Maybe you’re a native English speaker, and

you think, for me, “I’d like to know where who hid the cake” is just bad, but “I’d

like to know where who hid what” is better. And that’s the basis for where you start

from, to look at how we deal with questions. The data comes from intuitions you have

about these sentences from inside your own head! Not everyone will agree right away about these

judgments, but that was originally the case for a lot of the sentences you find in

journals or syntax textbooks. So is that science?

It might not seem like it at first, but the validity of that armchair linguist technique

has been the target of some pretty thorough analysis by a pair of linguists over the last

few years. They went through all the judgments from a

commonly used syntax textbook, and built experiments out of them. That’s, like, hundreds of sentences!

They found that in 98% of the cases, the data from the experiments matched the intuitions of

the theoretical syntacticians.

Then they went back and did similar work for 10 years of syntactic judgments from a leading linguistic

journal - and got a similar outcome. The judgments hold up really well to scientific

testing, and the results can be reproduced. And that’s because your image of the theoretical

linguist going it alone in the dangerous world of sentence judgments isn’t entirely accurate.

By the time that theories go to print, they’ve been vetted by a bunch of other linguists, colleagues

and editors, so that they’re ready to take part in the wider scientific conversation.

It turns out that the whole field of linguistics - each part of it - is forging ahead, matching

hypotheses and predictions with a growing body of data about how language works.

We’re trying to understand the amazing capacity we have for communication, and we’re learning

more all the time.

And that’s why the science of language needs more love! When you think about scientific literacy, like,

what people should know about the world around them, linguistics doesn’t usually

come up. But linguistics is our portal to understanding

this incredible thing that we do all the time. Fortunately, there’s a lot of great linguistics

outreach happening right now around the world, as more and more people realize just how awesome

language is, and how to do science to it.

And there’s a bunch you can do without fancy equipment or complicated techniques. Even

a lot of the psycholinguistic testing software that's used by PhDs and professors is 100% free.

Linguistics gives kids and adults an easy way to engage with the nature and process

of research. It’s a great way to present the scientific method, and it lets you redo

old experiments or design your own. Language is our constant companion, and the

more you get your hands dirty with the science of what makes it tick, the more you realize

that language is awesome. And that takes the cake.

So we’ve reached the end of the Ling Space for this week.

If you ran sufficient tests, you learned that linguistics is the science of language; that

a lot of linguistic research uses experiments, and even when it doesn't, it usually yields

reliable results; and that we can use linguistics as an inexpensive and accessible method for

teaching people about how science works.

The Ling Space is produced by me, Moti Lieberman. It’s directed by Adèle-Elise Prévost,

and it’s written by both of us. Our editor is Georges Coulombe, our production

assistant is Stephan Hurtubise, our music and sound design is by Shane Turner, and our

graphics team is atelierMUSE. We’re down in the comments below, or you can bring the

discussion back over to our website, where we have some extra material on this topic.

Check us out on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook, and if you want to keep expanding your own

personal Ling Space, please subscribe. And we’ll see you next Wednesday. Bis bald!