Why I like being a linguist.

There are many reasons why I like being a linguist. Now that I've been a graduate student for several months, I feel I can finally make that statement and have it mean something.

Language is one of the most simultaneously basic, complex, and universal elements of all life forms. Wait a second - basic and complex? Yes; let me explain. Language in its most basic form is a collection of signals occurring in the brain that direct comprehension and production. Certain animals are often cited with regard to language for their strictly non-verbal cues. Bees signal each other to indicate where the food source is, and if it is a plentiful one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but bees are capable of these two communicative paradigms and no others; it is a simple system, but it serves their needs well. On the other hand, language systems can manifest their complexities via many ways - dense case systems (Russian, German, Latin), many noun classes (Swahili), numerous exceptions to grammatical rules (English), etc. Language is universal because communication of any kind cannot occur without at least some sort of system.

When a linguist speaks about language, there is almost an "a ha" moment when people not familiar with linguistics register what has just been said - perhaps explaining something fundamental, for example voiced vs. voiceless consonants or the similarity in tongue position and production of the sounds [r] and [l]. We try to speak with the least amount of jargon as possible, but often we have to sacrifice clarity for the non-linguist for increasing clarity for our colleagues. I think the goal should be moving toward balancing both of these.

But why do I like being a linguist? We have efficient, systematic ways of describing natural language phenomena, things that occur without conscious identification or description (for the most part). We can explain allomorphy of the English plural suffix, and why the plural of fish is 'fish', ox is 'oxen', cat is /kats/, dog is /dogz/. Most English speakers are aware of these strange "exceptions", but may not know how to explain these occurrences.

Being a Slavist means that as I continue reading the literature and hearing speakers discuss Slavic language phenomena, I become more and more familiar with the systematic ways of explaining Russian, Polish, etc. linguistic issues. It is fascinating and somewhat enlightening analyzing your native language, but doing the same for your L2 is absolutely one of the most rewarding things, ever. This weekend I have attended the 48th annual Southern Conference on Slavic Studies here in Gainesville, and it has been an invaluable experience for me. I am now familiar with the professional behavior standard in the field, as well as the broad variety of topics and questions available for review or exploration.

I can say confidently that I am proud to be a part of my field - I am proud to be a linguist, and I look forward to contributing my own research in the next few years.