tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Aug 10 03:33:12 1996
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Re: Cautions and Perspectives (WAS: An offer you shouldn't refuse!)
- From: Andrew Strader <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Cautions and Perspectives (WAS: An offer you shouldn't refuse!)
- Date: Sat, 10 Aug 1996 06:38:36 -0700
- References: <[email protected]>
nuSovmoH "'angghal":
> This difference in perspective may well stem from different approaches. Someone
> who studies a number of languages (e.g., a philologist or a polyglot) would
^^^^^^^^^^^
> presumably approach a new language in terms of the ways it is similar and/or
> different from the languages of his/her experience. This makes a lot of sense
> and gives you a huge advantage over someone who has no foreign language
> experience.
>
> On the other hand, someone who studies the structure and patterns of language
> overall (e.g., a linguist or psycholinguist) operates under a less restrictive
^^^^^^^^
> set of constraints and is free to notice novel patterns that would be literally
> inconceivable to someone versed in a specific set of languages. The downside is
> that this view is much more abstract, which becomes a liability if you're
> looking for something concrete.
That's why it pays to be both, Virginia. {{:->
Guido