What kinds of structures do you observe in your language of study? Refer to the diagram on page 9 in Aitchison’s linguistics. How do you combine different disciplinary perspectives to formulate a more holistic understanding of your target language? Do you give preference to one disciplinary approach over the others? How will your knowledge of language structures and disciplinary methodologies influence the trajectory of your learning plan?
I have not started learning my language yet, so I do not exactly know what kinds of structures there are in Hebrew. However, I would agree that identifying the meaning/semantics would be the most important first step like mentioned in the Crystal reading. For example, a lot of Biblical scholars analyze the meaning of the words/phrases in the Bible more than the grammar or any other structures. In order to have a holistic understanding of a language, it is important to combine different disciplinary perspectives. For instance, applied linguistics is an important segment since it allows people to make conversations and actually applying the skills in real life. Although this element plays a significant role, there are other elements that would further the understanding of the language. Sociolinguistics would allow one to understand how the language is used or what kind of role it plays in the society. The language itself might differ based on different communities, but knowing what the language "means" to that community/society would be helpful. Furthermore, anthropological linguistics would also deepen the understanding of the language since it will allow one to understand how the language works in different cultural settings and how it interacts with other languages. I do not necessarily give preferences, but I would like to spend more time on learning more about philosophical linguistics. My knowledge of language structures and disciplinary methodologies will heavily influence the trajectory of my learning plan because I will be able to gain a stronger foundation of the language, and it will motivate me to be more attentive towards something that matters more. Instead of really focusing on the grammar structure, I will spend more time understanding the meaning correctly.
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