Language in Particular: A Lecture

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Becker, A. L. begins her article with a small introduction on the idea and history of linguistics in the humanities, exploring what it might be and why individuals engage in it. The author further goes on to discuss different paths to this type of linguistics in the humanities, including paths from Heidegger, Wittgenstein, and Emerson. These are described as the major paths through which a number of students can go through during their learning process. One particular standout identified was Gertrude stein, who the author considers an ancestor in the Emersonian tradition (Becker, 1988). Stein is used as a great example for the ideas presented by Becker due to her great lingual imagination.
The author further highlights the importance of linguistics in the humanities by considering other linguistics in the field. It is noted that linguistics in the humanities represents a way of looking at language that emphasizes the role of the observer in the study of a language. This approach does not aim to replace scientific linguistics but rather to complement it by exploring areas that cannot be addressed through scientific methods alone (Becker, 1988). Consequently, by examining language in its social and cultural context, linguists can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which language reflects and shapes cultural values, beliefs, and practices. Becker further conducted an experiment where she walked up a flight of stairs to the podium and asked the members of the audience to each write a simple sentence describing the action. After the experiment, a select number of students in the audience were asked to read out their sentences. The results showed that there were no two sentences that were alike, showing the significant differences in language used by each member.
One particular fascinating as...