Re: What good is linguistics?

[Jon Olson <jeo3@psu.edu>]

Sara, I got my degree in one of the early programs which later came to be
known as "rhet/comp"--it was a program within an English dept. called the
Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literature Program.  At the time, my primary
interests (and major concentrations) were in rhetoric (and composition) and
in literature, but now I often think the linguistics classes (taken from
the linguistics dept., not English) may have been equally (more?) valuable.
I chose to take ESL-related options for most of my courses.  Those courses
really affect the way I see language and culture and writing program
administration now--how I see the ways we learn to read and write and what
literacy means to us.  I used to think it was rhetoric where all the
concerns of belles lettres and psycho/sociolinguistics, etc.,came together.
 Now I'm inclined to think it might be linguistics, in general, and the
study of grammar, in particular, where we can also find a locus where those
other lines of inquiry come together.  I guess that's what we find when we
study the history of, uh, rhetoric:  as you know, the ancients used to see
grammar as the study of poetry, philosophy, history, oratory . . . in
addition to what we think of as grammar today.  Being grammatical meant
being politically aware.  Maybe that can be true today, too.  If so, it
might be because all the concentrations of language study are inseparable.
Does that make sense?  --Jon         

At 03:44 PM 11/1/97 -0600, Sara Kimball wrote:
>>This question is directed to those of you with degrees from English
>>departments in non-linguistic concentrations (literature, rhet-comp.,
>>medieval studies .... etc.) who may have taken linguistics courses either
>>because they were required or because you thought they would be useful.
>>What did you think of the courses?  Were they useful in teaching
>>composition?  Were they useful to you in other areas?  Do you have
>>suggestions for people teaching linguistics courses within English
>>departments to undergrad and grad majors?
>>
>>Thanks in advance.
>>Sara Kimball

Jon Olson
Assistant Professor of Writing
Director of the Center for Excellence in Writing
Department of English
The Pennsylvania State University
115 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA  16802-6200
Office:  (814) 865-9243
Fax:  (814) 863-7285
Email:  jeo3@psu.edu