This brief introduction to linguistics asks simple questions about language and languages, then follows the various branches of linguistics that have arisen in attempt to answer those questions. Take this presentation as a rapid tour through modern linguistics or as a thoughtful inquiry into what language is and how we could understand it. For specific lessons that introduce many of these topics - including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, historical linguistics and logic - head to: www.nativlang.com/linguistics/
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Is language just for humans? Do other animals speak? Take a few minutes to explore animal communication with me. Aristotle may snip humans off from rest of the Animal Kingdom, but animals do communicate with each other. Ants leave pheromone trails, bees perform information-rich waggle dances, birds
How do you go from a concrete object like a basketball to an abstract idea like a circle? Why do you see the one and think about the other? What makes this kind of thing useful? Abstract thinking allows us to identify patterns and see common features. Once we abstract away the differences, we can g
From the "Sapir-Whorf hypothesis" to modern psychology, get a quick feel for this ongoing debate. Is language about grammatical universals like nouns and verbs? What's the relationship between language and culture? Text version of this lesson with links to further resources: http://www.nativlang.co
