Into the forest of linguistics

In my first two weeks at BJU, I was introduced to the "forest" of linguistics through Language Learning, as we studied some of the basics of languages and how people learn languages. So, now that we've seen the forest, we are examining the trees! Phonetics/Phonology studies how humans use speech sounds to make words. Grammar-In-Use studies almost every other aspect of language - how words are formed, how they are put together to make sentences, how and why words have different meanings, and so on. It can get very technical, but it is very interesting to study how languages work!

There are only six of us in the class now. The only guy, Jon, just took Language Learning in order to prepare for a missions trip to Asia, so that leaves six women in the current linguistics classes. We've been getting to know each other pretty well! Maybe it has something to do with spending several hours together in class and in the language lab every day, making (or trying to make) the same strange sounds. Anyway, we have a fun group of students, and fun teachers, and (in my opinion) some fun topics to study! So it should be a very fun summer!

In all seriousness, the classes are indeed helping to prepare me for a full-time ministry of studying languages in Bible translation. I had read about linguistics and tried to understand and remember the linguistic terms, but I'd never had much chance to study it in depth and put it into practice in a classroom situation. Before I leave BJU, I'll have even more opportunities to apply what I'm learning, through Field Methods/Literacy, where we get to work with a foreign native speaker, and Bible Translation, where linguistic studies will be applied to the ministry of missionary Bible translation. Please keep praying that I will be able to get the most out of my studies here!