Hello! Welcome to your first lesson in our journey through the world of linguistics.
The goal of this course is to provide you with a comprehensive and deep understanding of how language works, from the smallest sounds to the most complex conversations. In this introductory lesson, we will begin by defining what linguistics is and, just as importantly, what it is not. We will tackle the fundamental distinction between studying language like a scientist versus policing it like a grammarian.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to define linguistics and distinguish it from prescriptive grammar. This is the single most important concept to grasp at the outset, as it establishes the mindset we will use throughout the entire course.
1. What is Linguistics?
Let's start with a clear definition: Linguistics is the scientific study of human language.
This means that linguists approach language as a natural phenomenon, something to be observed, analyzed, and understood, much like a biologist studies living organisms or a physicist studies the laws of motion. They are interested in the underlying principles that govern all languages, what's going on in our minds that allows us to use language, and how it functions in society.
To get a feel for this perspective, let's watch a few clips from an introductory video on the topic.
What is Linguistics?: Crash Course Linguistics #1
The following excerpts from 'What is Linguistics?' by Crash Course provide an excellent, high-level overview of what it means to study language scientifically and what makes human language unique.
Please watch the following two segments: The introduction from 00:21 to 01:00, which defines the field. The segment from 02:55 to 07:07, which discusses the 'design features' of language. Focus on understanding concepts like arbitrariness, duality of patterning, and displacement. These features help explain why linguists see language as a unique and complex system worth studying.
As the video explains, linguists are not just interested in one particular language, but in Language with a capital L—the universal properties and cognitive architecture that make human language possible.
2. The Great Divide: Descriptivism vs. Prescriptivism
One of the most common misconceptions about linguistics is that it's about learning "correct" grammar. Your prior experience with English studies in school likely focused on rules for "proper" writing and speaking. This approach is known as prescriptivism.
Linguistics, as a science, takes a completely different approach: descriptivism.
To clarify this crucial distinction, please watch this short segment.
GEN102 - What is Linguistics (not)?
This video from The Virtual Linguistics and Literature Campus directly contrasts the prescriptive attitude of traditional grammar with the descriptive approach of modern linguistics.
Watch the clip from 03:48 to 04:22. Pay close attention to how it defines the two approaches.
Let's break this down:
- Prescriptive grammar dictates how people should use language. It makes value judgments, labeling certain forms as "correct" and others as "incorrect." Think of style guides or teachers correcting "I ain't got no money" to "I don't have any money."
- Descriptive grammar observes and analyzes how people actually use language in their daily lives. It aims to describe the underlying rules of a language as it is spoken and written, without judging it as "good" or "bad." A descriptive linguist would study why and how a speaker says "I ain't got no money," looking for the systematic patterns in that speaker's dialect.
The following reading provides a detailed exploration of this topic. Given your background in literature and writing, you will likely find its critical examination of where prescriptive rules come from particularly interesting.
2.3. Prescriptivism and descriptivism
This text, 'Prescriptivism and descriptivism' from The Linguistic Summer Camp, delves into the social and historical reasons behind prescriptive rules and reinforces the scientific, descriptive stance of linguistics.
Please read the following sections from the article (about 15 minutes): Start at the beginning with '2.3. Prescriptivism and descriptivism'. Read this and the following section, 'Language variation and identity', to understand the basic definitions and the connection between language and social identity. Next, jump to the 'Case study on ain’t'. This provides a fantastic, concrete example of how a descriptive approach can reveal the logic within a form that prescriptivists simply label 'wrong.' Finally, read the section 'Where do prescriptive rules come from?' This discusses how rules against split infinitives or ending a sentence with a preposition are not based on the logic of English, but were often imported from other languages like Latin for reasons of prestige.
As the article makes clear, the prescriptive "rules" you may have learned are often not about clarity or logic at all. They are frequently tied to social class, history, and the perceived prestige of one language variety over another.
A descriptive linguist, by contrast, operates like a biologist in the field. To borrow the analogy from the Crash Course video, a biologist wouldn't tell a sparrow it's "singing wrong" because it doesn't sound like a parrot. Instead, they would describe the sparrow's song, analyze its structure, and try to understand its function. Linguists do the same with language. All language varieties are systematic and rule-governed, even if those rules differ from the "standard" taught in school.
Test your understanding!
Consider the following sentence, which is common in many varieties of spoken English:
"Me and her went to the library."
- What is the prescriptive rule being violated here?
- How would a descriptive linguist analyze this sentence? What might they be interested in finding out?
Show answer
- The prescriptive rule is that pronouns in the subject position of a sentence should be in the subjective case (e.g., I, she, he). The "correct" sentence according to this rule would be "She and I went to the library."
- A descriptive linguist would not label it "incorrect." Instead, they would observe that in many spoken dialects of English, the objective case (me, her) is systematically used in coordinated noun phrases (like "me and her") even when they are in the subject position. They might be interested in questions like:
- Which speakers use this form? (Is it tied to a specific region, age group, or social context?)
- Is it more common in speech than in writing?
- Does the order matter? (Is "Her and me went..." as common as "Me and her went..."?)
- This shows an interest in describing the actual pattern of use, rather than enforcing an external rule.
Conclusion
In this first lesson, we've established the foundational perspective of our course. You now have the tools to understand the core mission of linguistics.
Key takeaways:
- Linguistics is the scientific study of language, focused on describing how it works.
- Prescriptive grammar tells people how they should speak, making value judgments about "correctness."
- Descriptive grammar, the approach used by linguists, documents how people actually speak, analyzing the patterns without judgment.
- The "rules" of prescriptive grammar are often based on social and historical factors, not on inherent linguistic logic.
A Look Ahead:
Now that we have defined how linguists study language (descriptively), our next lesson will explore what they study. We will identify the core subfields of linguistics—such as phonetics, syntax, and semantics—and see how they fit together to create a complete picture of this fascinating human ability.