Linguistics shares with other sciences a concern to be objective, systematic, consistent, and explicit in its account of language. Like other sciences, it aims to collect data, test hypotheses, devise models, and construct theories. Its subject matter, however, is unique: at one extreme it overlaps with such “hard” sciences as physics and anatomy; at the other, it involves such traditional “arts” subjects as philosophy and literary criticism. The field of linguistics includes both science and the humanities and offers a breadth of coverage that, for many aspiring students of the subject, is the primary source of its appeal.
Classroom Materials:
- Victoria Fromkin, Robert Rodman, Nina Hyams. (2011). An Introduction to Language. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning 9th Edition
- George Yule (2010). The Study of Language. Cambridge University Press. 4th Edition
- Julia S. Falk. (1978). Linguistics and language: a survey of basic concepts and applications
- Adrian Akmajian, Richard A. Demers, Ann K. Farmer. (2010). Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication, 6th edition