# Linguistics Corner



## Tajabone

Greetings,

 I think it's a bit strange to see a forum dedicated to languages without a linguistics section.

 There is no language section where general questions about "general linguistics"  are not asked: "dialect", "accent", "variety" (if mentioned !) are extensively used but not always properly defined.

 This is why in some threads, some members are "opinating" about such crucial (socio)linguistic notions or concepts while a respectable scientific production is simply waiting to be read and even criticised. It's mostly a reliable and accessible documentation. _After that_ documented opinions could be given and would be certainly most welcomed !

 I'm thinking of a section where pedagocial counterexamples could be given explaining the why and the how in a very easy and non-judgmental way. People can think that "French is a rational and precise language" or that "The most beautiful language is ..." but scientifically, these questions are pointless but reamin socially important ("Les illusions ne sont pas illusoires" as Bourdieu put it).

 Furthermore, we are all "native speakers" of something (or many things) but the privilege of such a position is not discussed just like some other myths as the "natural ability for languages" which could be given as a "rational" explanation for members concerning their possible failure or success in learning ...

 The lack of use of phonetics should also be a reason for creating such a corner/section while it's just impossible to give precise linguistic information about a sound "loosely speaking". I'm not talking about doing a symposium for phonologists but about giving a minimal and precise indication (the distinction between phonetics and phonology is so crucial).

 Let me know what you think of it,

 Thanks anyway !

 Tajabone


----------



## agliagli

Tajabone said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I think it's a bit strange to see a forum dedicated to languages without a linguistics section.
> 
> There is no language section where general questions about "general linguistics" are not asked: "dialect", "accent", "variety" (if mentioned !) are extensively used but not always properly defined.
> 
> This is why in some threads, some members are "opinating" about such crucial (socio)linguistic notions or concepts while a respectable scientific production is simply waiting to be read and even criticised. It's mostly a reliable and accessible documentation. _After that_ documented opinions could be given and would be certainly most welcomed !


 
I personally agree with this proposition. 



Tajabone said:


> I'm thinking of a section where pedagocial counterexamples could be given explaining the why and the how in a very easy and non-judgmental way. People can think that "French is a rational and precise language" or that "The most beautiful language is ..." but scientifically, these questions are pointless but reamin socially important ("Les illusions ne sont pas illusoires" as Bourdieu put it).


 
I personally think that this part might lead to some passionate arguments... and should be treated separatly.  



Tajabone said:


> Furthermore, we are all "native speakers" of something (or many things) but the privilege of such a position is not discussed just like some other myths as the "natural ability for languages" which could be given as a "rational" explanation for members concerning their possible failure or success in learning ...


 
... quite a difficult question to answer, but why not?



Tajabone said:


> The lack of use of phonetics should also be a reason for creating such a corner/section while it's just impossible to give precise linguistic information about a sound "loosely speaking". I'm not talking about doing a symposium for phonologists but about giving a minimal and precise indication (the distinction between phonetics and phonology is so crucial).


 
I was fully enthusiastic about your idea when I read the title of your thread. But I am afraid this will lead to too many of everything at once... since linguistics is quite a vast area of learning. This need to be splitted into the different sections of linguistics: phonology, semantics, etc.etc. 

Agli


----------



## Nunty

This is a request for information, not a criticism: isn't there a difference between linguistics and language learning?


----------



## cuchuflete

> I think it's a bit strange to see a forum dedicated to languages without a linguistics section.





> The WordReference Forums Guidelines
> Mission Statement
> 
> I. WordReference.com provides Forums for exchanges about translation, word usage, terminology equivalency and other linguistic topics.


The word "languages" may encompass a great many things.  The focus of these forums, at this time, is that stated in the Forum Guidelines.  Rules/FAQ

The forums are adjuncts to the WR Dictionaries.  Most people participating in the forums come here, at least initially, to discuss the meanings of words.  Naturally there are calls for related topics, and we do have some discussions of pronunciation, relationships among different languages and dialects, etymology, and a host of other subjects that are about that very big term, language.  

Still, our focus is meaning and usage, both within and between languages.  The day may come when these forums grow to include more languages, very likely, and more disciplines.  We have had reasonable requests, most often from newcomers, to expand the Forums' mission to include phonetics, literature, literary criticism, pedagogical techniques, linguistics, and other valid topics.  The answer so far has been that we are working to be good at our current, more focused mission, rather than trying to be all things to all people in that very large realm called 'language'.


----------



## agliagli

cuchuflete said:


> The answer so far has been that we are working to be good at our current, more focused mission, rather than trying to be all things to all people in that very large realm called 'language'.


 
Thank you. This makes it clearer. By the way, are we allowed to ask "linguistic terminology help" in the forum?  I mean, if we need to refresh some of the basic notions of linguistics for academic purposes?


----------



## cuchuflete

Hi Agliagli,

Each language forum has its own informal range of boundaries.  We get some pronunciation questions in English Only, and some threads that get into fairly detailed and technical linguistics topics.  While they are beyond our central arena, we permit them.  If you are uncertain about how well a thread might fit a particular forum, just PM one of that forum's moderators before posting.


----------



## Bienvenidos

cuchuflete said:


> The word "languages" may encompass a great many things.  The focus of these forums, at this time, is that stated in the Forum Guidelines.  Rules/FAQ
> 
> The forums are adjuncts to the WR Dictionaries.  Most people participating in the forums come here, at least initially, to discuss the meanings of words.  Naturally there are calls for related topics, and we do have some discussions of pronunciation, relationships among different languages and dialects, etymology, and a host of other subjects that are about that very big term, language.
> 
> Still, our focus is meaning and usage, both within and between languages.  The day may come when these forums grow to include more languages, very likely, and more disciplines.  We have had reasonable requests, most often from newcomers, to expand the Forums' mission to include phonetics, literature, literary criticism, pedagogical techniques, linguistics, and other valid topics.  The answer so far has been that we are working to be good at our current, more focused mission, rather than trying to be all things to all people in that very large realm called 'language'.



You always have an answer for everything, truly amazing! 

I would argue that CD and OL are linguistic forums in their entirety, being that linguistics-based questions are welcomed and discussed. Actually, as everyone has already mentioned, every forum is a linguistics forum in the sense that you can open a discussion about the etymology of a word, etc.


----------



## Tajabone

Hello all,

 Thanks for your comments 
 Tajabone

_Editorializing deleted.  Question asked and answered.  _


----------



## mkellogg

I think some linguistics forums might be helpful here, but to say what Cuchuflete said in my own words: we are swamped (extremely busy) just trying to keep up with our basic mission here, foreign language learning.


----------

