Is language a verb?
I studied linguistics for five years before I ever heard anyone refer to language as a verb. It’s a subtle change, but it symbolizes a completely different view of language.
Prior to that moment, language, to me, was something static that existed out there in the world. The English language, for example, existed in grammar manuals and literature books. It was something that could be packaged and fully learned.
But that never felt right. Language is constantly changing. Plus, there’s far too many words in English to fully learn them all.
Then I came across this quote:
“The term languaging is needed to refer to the simultaneous process of continuous becoming of ourselves and of our language practices, as we interact and make meaning in the world,” (García & Wei, 2014, p. 8).
Yes—I thought. Language is something that changes with us. As we move through life, our language reflects our experiences.
Maybe you took four years of French in school and you still remember some words. Maybe you start a new job and learn all the new jargon related to the industry. Maybe you experience a pandemic and you suddenly know how to say vaccine, mask, and social distancing in multiple languages. You get the point.
Language is something that exists in people, around people, and in society. It’s in constant flux. It’s not a static noun. It’s a verb.
Let’s language together!
Studying linguistics helped me embrace all of my language and to see the value in everyone else’s language. It’s my goal to help you do the same.
In this newsletter, we’re going to study all-things-language from heritage languages to standardized languages. As a free subscriber, you can expect an email every other Tuesday morning Eastern. As a paid subscriber, you can expect an email every Tuesday morning Eastern (as well as access to monthly Q&As and meetups!).
