Comments on: A Linguistic Blind Spot http://www.eugenefischer.com/2009/11/27/a-linguistic-blind-spot/ Generalizations are always wrong. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:28:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: A. Cooper http://www.eugenefischer.com/2009/11/27/a-linguistic-blind-spot/comment-page-1/#comment-5881 A. Cooper Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:33:35 +0000 http://www.eugenefischer.com/?p=1553#comment-5881 I'd recommend starting with phonology. There's lots of data, but it's not very theory-deep. Phonology problems are very much like word puzzles in some respects. And they're a good way to get used to the sort of combinatorial rules that all of linguistics is really about. I'm thinking of place-assimilation of nasal consonants is a decent place to start. Or for a bit more of a challenge, look up the predicate-internal subject hypothesis. It takes a bit of background in trees and phrases, but it's a sufficiently counterintuitive claim to be really really interesting, and the evidence for it is fairly cogent. I’d recommend starting with phonology. There’s lots of data, but it’s not very theory-deep. Phonology problems are very much like word puzzles in some respects. And they’re a good way to get used to the sort of combinatorial rules that all of linguistics is really about. I’m thinking of place-assimilation of nasal consonants is a decent place to start.

Or for a bit more of a challenge, look up the predicate-internal subject hypothesis. It takes a bit of background in trees and phrases, but it’s a sufficiently counterintuitive claim to be really really interesting, and the evidence for it is fairly cogent.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.eugenefischer.com/2009/11/27/a-linguistic-blind-spot/comment-page-1/#comment-5878 Sarah Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:35:52 +0000 http://www.eugenefischer.com/?p=1553#comment-5878 The problem I have with linguistics textbooks is the jargon; it's so dense you could build a house with it. If you can get a layman-English explanation of the basics, and then learn the rest solely through doing problems, it'll probably be a lot more interesting. The problem I have with linguistics textbooks is the jargon; it’s so dense you could build a house with it. If you can get a layman-English explanation of the basics, and then learn the rest solely through doing problems, it’ll probably be a lot more interesting.

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