Final year student English Language and Linguistics student and Linguistics Society president Sophie Frankpitt explains how she first learned about linguistics, and what she did to prepare for life as a linguistics student at university.

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Linguistics is an exciting and important discipline – because language is everywhere. But if you’re new to the field, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. So here are a few of my tips about how to develop your knowledge and passion.

Read about what you’re interested in – books, journals, articles

Many students before studying a linguistics degree might ask what books they should read to prepare for the course. Whilst this is a valuable question to ask, I’d also recommend following your interests. If you’re fascinated by a particular area – maybe language and gender, or ethnicity, or sexuality – chase your passion. Exploring the topics that you love is a really rewarding way to learn about Linguistics. And your interests will inevitably change as you engage more – but that’s part of the fun.

Books that I read at the start of my linguistics journey – and which fully shaped the adventure for me – include the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language by David Crystal, Feminism and Linguistic Theory by Deborah Cameron, What Kind of Creatures are We? by Noam Chomsky, and How Language Works by David Crystal.

Curate your social media – look at linguistics blogs, podcasts, and Instagram accounts

Realistically, we’re probably not going to spend all of our time reading academic articles. One informative and valuable way in which to learn more about linguistics, and to engage with the community, is through social media. There are a few super interesting blogs (see for example Deborah Cameron’s blog), podcasts (Word of Mouth, or Lexis Podcast), and Instagram accounts (e.g., @leraboroditsky, @etymologynerd). This will introduce you to new areas of linguistics too, and give you a good way to keep up with current trends in the field.

Approach your daily life with a linguistic lens

Another way to engage with linguistics more is to start actively thinking about language in your daily life – in a critical and interested way. Notice how your friends talk amongst each other, and how that then changes in class. When you’re reading social media or the news, try to identify ways in which the source is framing certain issues to present a particular viewpoint. If you’re watching a series, notice how characters use language to enact certain identities, and how this contributes to ideologies about gender, race, or age. Developing a critical awareness about language is an important skill to have as a linguist, and it’s never too early to start.

Talk to professors and students at open days

If you are considering doing a degree in linguistics, I’d really recommend talking to the professors and students. Ask questions about the degree, the culture of the department, and what their values as academics are. Linguistics has a lot of different branches, so it’s important to make sure that you’re going somewhere that suits you. At Warwick, there’s a strong focus on applying linguistic research to solve real world problems. It's a strong social justice orientation. But other departments might be more focused on investigating theoretical questions about the human language faculty. Talking to those currently studying the discipline will help you to work out what you hope to get from the degree.

In summary: follow your interests and passions, talk to people and engage with linguists, and practice adopting a critical linguistic mindset in your everyday life. Good luck!