What is Linguistics?

Marc Jalen Relador

In our everyday life, usage of language is very much needed. A certain action that a human
person does needs a language in order to convey a message. Such as telling someone about his or
her physical appearance. Use of words, phrases or sentences to express a message needs language
so that you can be able to send your message. But language has deeper definition. This is where
linguistics comes into the conversation.

This time I will be talking about what is linguistics according to the video I had watched.
First, the person speaking in the video is John McWhorter. As he had said, he is a Professor who
teaches about linguistics. The first thing that he spoke about was linguistics is a scientific analysis
of language. It means to that to understand linguistics, you really must investigate and be able to
comprehend it. Also, he said if you are studying linguistics, knowing the building blocks of
linguistics play a vital role. Namely: word formation, sentence structure, sound system and
meaning. First, word formation is the same with how words are formed. Second is the sentence
structure, the compilation of words or phrases by, the use of what we call as Clauses. Next is the
sound system. Sound system is how a word or phrases change meaning using pitch, stress and
intonation. Lastly, meaning is describing a certain word of what is really the definition.

On the other hand, John McWhorter also spoke some important points to be remembered.
Namely: Language is studied rather than teaching or fixing it. Next is language is different on what
they put in, what can they leave out and they want to leave out. Others hypothesize that is what
channel the people of how they think of the world. He also spoke that people’s conception of
language or linguistics is words, how words are spelled and little things you shouldn’t do in the
words and putting them in the right order. In the last few minutes of the video, he described that
linguistics is are bunch words that is connected with grammatical rules that person learned. It is
what human language is and how it works.

But for me, linguistics is a diverse system wherein that needs more time to study and be
able to comprehend completely. And it helps someone to really to be more knowledgeable of what
could be the possible context or topic he or she wants to convey. Using linguistics in
communicating effectively through various situation.