SCULC 2011 — new site!
The new site for SCULC is up, complete with abstract announcement. Abstracts are due February 1, 2011, don’t miss it!
Does ling help you learn languages?
Most people have a feeling for the answer of this question regardless of their background with linguistics, something of an intuition that linguistics doesn’t really help you learn languages any more than being a doctor helps you defend against illness. One of the usuals to the LING 20 study group said something that really entertained me: “nobody told me that linguistics has nothing to do with languages”. And this was right after the whole unit on syntax, which is one of the more abstract extensions of linguistics that an undergraduate would encounter. His remark seems totally reasonable to me, we usually deal with languages that we’ve never heard of, let alone will encounter, so sometimes it feels we’re dealing with alien languages or maybe, not language at all, but the kind of logic that underlies spoken language.
In any case, I have a personal anecdote to contribute to the answering of this question. It all started with a food coma after Thanksgiving dinner…I got this book from the library ages ago, called “The Arabic Writing: in five lessons“, which isn’t really a book, it’s a tiny pamphlet 20 pages long. But what attracted me to this book was exactly this: its brevity. In 20 pages you could learn how to write Arabic? Intriguing.
Ling 20 study group
BLing is organizing a study group for LING 20, taught by Hayes in Fall 2010. Each session will be facilitated by a Bruin Linguists board member. We will answer questions, help with homework, and generally do all we can to help you understand linguistics and do well in the class.
This is totally voluntary and free. We have no access to Prof. Hayes’ official course materials so we will rely on you, the students, to bring in specific questions and problems. Sessions will probably be one or two hours long, most likely in the evening some time.
If you are interested please send an email to Brent at bling@bruinling.org. We will schedule a timeslot based on everyone’s availability and try to start meeting as soon as possible.
Programs from 10/6 meeting
Here is the information about the programs which were posted on the wall at the meeting on Wednesday, 10/16:
Conversation Partners: www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu, email to intlprograms@saonet.ucla.edu to request a Conversation Partner, sponsored by the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars
Language Circles:
Chinese – Wed 4-5, Bradley Int’l Hall, rm 300C;
English – Fri 3-5 Bradley rm 300C;
French – Mon 1-2 Royce 326;
German Wed 2-3 Northern Lights, Thur 5:30-7:30 The Stand in Westwood;
Japanese – Thur 6-7:30 Haines A76;
Scandinavian – Tue 6-7 Royce 332;
Spanish & Portuguese – Tue 5-6 Northern Lights
International Film Nights: every month, October’s film is “The Rage in Placid Lake” on Thurs, 10/14 on the Dashew Center Patio (1st floor of Bradley Int’l Hall) at 8pm, free admission, free popcorn, free hot cocoa.
