What Is Linguistics and Why Should You Study It?
Have you ever wondered why we say “mice” instead of “mouses”? Or why some words have the same sounding but different spelling? Or why spoken words rarely express the real meaning of our thoughts? If your answer to these questions is “yes”, then you must be an inborn linguist!
There is a couple of myths about linguists among mere mortals. Some of them think that linguists are people, who know many languages or teach pupils of elementary grades. Well, sometimes it is true, of course. However, the real focus of linguists is language as it is. They study its structure, psychology and use.
In a word, linguistics is a science that studies communication between people and the symbolic nature of reality (oh my!). Linguists not only deal with concrete languages but also with language as a phenomenon. Generally, linguistics is divided into following categories:
- Semantics
- Morphology
- Syntax
- Phonetics
- Pragmatics
- Phonology
Each of these subareas deals with a certain aspect of language: meaning, structure, pattering, etc.
This discipline is connected with other fields of knowledge, such as philosophy, biology, anthropology, sociology, and more. Also, linguists are interested in the way languages change over time, the way our brain processes words, and how children enter the language environment. If you are going to get a degree in this sphere, you will have to read and write a great deal of papers on these and other topics.
How to create an A-winning paper in linguistics?
We have created a practical guide to help you deal with a paper in linguistics. Follow these instructions to ensure the best result!
- Mind clarity
You are not writing a detective story – there should never be any mysteries in your paper! Bring your readers up to the main point of your paper from the start. Present your topic and say a few words about your conclusion and the way you reached it right in your first paragraph. The same should be done in your last paragraph. Actually, your introduction and conclusion should be similar.
Body paragraphs of your paper should be like small essays themselves. Put a single idea per paragraph. Start each of them with a brief introduction, presentation, and summary.
- Use reliable sources
No academic paper could be written without referring to the works of others. Make sure to use scientific journals, books, and encyclopedias as references and don’t forget to mark them correctly. It is absolutely essential to give credits to the authors you quote. It is also essential to comment these quotations and explain them to the readers.
- Mind number, voice and person
As a rule, academic papers in linguistics are written in the first-person singular or first-person plural: “I came to a conclusion…” or “We came to a conclusion…”
Also, write your paper in active voice only. Passive constructions make it difficult to understand what you mean. For example, if you are writing “It has been found…” then it is not clear who has found it.
So be always clear, use only trustworthy information and appropriate language. Linguistics papers are not just funny stories for entertainment – so forget about puns and jokes.
If there is something you don’t understand about linguistics papers writing, feel free to contact a reliable online academic writing company that hires professional writers with advanced degrees. Experienced writing partners can provide qualified assistance and save you from failing your grade.