linguistic questions

[Richard J Senghas]

At 9:55 AM -0700 4/17/03, Stephen C Hollister wrote:
>If a linguist is someone who analyzes data to determine how a
>linguistic system works then all seven-year-olds (indeed all
>children) are linguists.  It they weren't they would never learn
>their native languages.
>
>Stephen

However, don't forget the key element separating a linguist from
"everyone else": linguists do their analysis and theorizing
explicitly (we hope!). And in an amusing irony, linguists often don't
develop conversational command of a particular language even when
they *have* developed a sophisticated linguistic understanding of
said language.

-RJS

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Richard J. Senghas, Assoc. Professor     | Sonoma State University
Chair, Dept. of Anthropology/Linguistics | 1801 East Cotati Avenue
Coordinator, Linguistics & TESL Programs | Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
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