I've always loved languages.
I've always picked them up.
Always tried to understand them.
To really embrace Linguistics fully you have to
move throughout different cultures, I feel.
I've always believed that
The more languages you speak
The more lives you can live.
Because you understand the culture and everything.
So, it just kind of broadens
your whole world view.
And it just means understanding people.
So understanding a language means
understanding culture.
And the more language you learn
innately the more culture you'll get to experience.
In my mind, language is everything we are.
I think Linguistics, unlike some fields like history and even economics, is not
readily apparent. You don't really learn
growing up in
United States society about linguistics. You don't have courses in linguistics
in high schools and junior high schools.
So I think a lot of students come in with, kind of,
Really unsure what it's all about.
There are things that have been lost
Because of the introduction of new languages
That are more popular.
Another student: However, a current speaker of Hawaiian
would definitely have a much easier time
being thrown back and coming to an understanding.
But if you think about it
If they landed in the past and they talked to
an elder, they would be, like,
"What are you speaking?"
Voice Over: I chose UH Hilo because I wanted something smaller.
That was closer knit because my sister went to a big university
and got totally glazed over by different professors
didn't get individualistic
instruction.
And attention. But here, I real do get
What I need on an individual basis.
I have a really high respect for a lot of the educators here. Everything is done
in a professional way but it's always so
chill, too, you know.
It's nice to get to know the professors. Because they'll usually help you out with anything.
Voice Over: We have a lot of different people from all over the world, here.
A lot of exchange students. They're always very interesting to talk to.
And it's a good experience as a
linguists to be surrounded by so many dialects,
so many languages, so many
accents,
and to be able to study even just on
campus.
Even just a dialect can change
so much in understanding
of language and therefore the world
around you.
Me being able to understand the different types of languages and how they work
it kind of helps me out when I'm definitely learning another language, or,
my friend is learning english, as well.
I don't know the exact statistics, but we're one of the most diverse campuses in the country.
Let alone just in the state.
And that is really interesting for me.
And for people who want to be able to experience all those different kinds of people.
It's just a great campus for
someone who is open-minded and wants to embrace a lot of things.
This is definitely a place, not only
for the formal instruction,
but to meet people from around the world and to have hands on experience
having
a conversation partner or just
talking to other people
picking up their languages as you
speak to them.
Well, I'd say just try a course.
If you thought, "Hey language is kind of interesting,"
"I wish I knew more about language,"
"I wish I studied a few more foreign languages,"
I'd say, "Just try."
Just try our introduction to Linguistics course.
Linguistics 102.
And I think students might be pleasantly surprised.
 
