Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics

[alex gross]

> The Gene Searchinger  films sets 'The Human Language' and 'The Writing 
> Code' a\offer quite positive views of the value of linguistics and 
> linguists.

Thanks, Lise!  And best wishes to you, Fritz!

It is scarcely surprising that Gene Searchinger's "The Human Language"
presents "quite positive views of the value of linguistics and linguists."
This film was never anything but an in-house endorsement of generative
theories, most probably intended to shepherd students from other fields
into linguistics and to reassure the general public that important work was
being done.  You can read the review I wrote of this film when it first
came out fifteen years ago at:

http://language.home.sprynet.com/lingdex/emperor.htm

where I also coupled it with a brief review of Stephen Pinker's book "The
Language Instinct" that appeared around the same time.

My further review of Pinker's book, also mentioning Searchinger's film, can
be found at:

http://language.home.sprynet.com/lingdex//bigbird.htm

While writing these reviews I had some contact with the film's producers and 
gained the
impression that they were full-fledged acolytes of the generative movement.

Very best to everyone!

alex

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lise Menn" <lise.menn at Colorado.EDU>
To: "Frederick J Newmeyer" <fjn at u.washington.edu>
Cc: <funknet at mailman.rice.edu>
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010 12:23 AM
Subject: Re: [FUNKNET] Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics


> Fritz:
> The Gene Searchinger  films sets 'The Human Language' and 'The  Writing 
> Code' a\offer quite positive views of the value of linguistics  and 
> linguists.  And 'The Linguists', of course.
>
> Lise Menn
>>
>>>
>>> Today's Topics:
>>>
>>>  1. Re: Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics (Craig Hancock)
>>>  2. The view of mathematicians is quite negative (Yuri Tambovtsev)
>>>  3. Re: Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics
>>>     (Brian MacWhinney)
>>>  4. Re: Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics (Mark P. Line)
>>>  5. Re: Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics (Thomas E.  Payne)
>>>  6. Re: Outsiders' views of the value of linguistics (Craig Hancock)
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>