Historical Linguistics

Historical Linguistics has caused language to evolve over time. The acquisition of language has impacted individuals in negative ways. Immigrants who have tried to make a new life for themselves have been unable to do so unless the dominant language can be spoken fluently. Chiswick and Miller conducted a study in 1995 which states among individuals in the United States who received the jobs were the ones able to speak fluent English. This was made possible by English being spoken in the homes. The same concept takes place in Canada, except the dominant language is French. Therefore, if an individual moves to a different country and is unable to speak the fluent language, acquiring a job will be difficult. A way this conflict could be changed is to offer opportunities for applicants to have interpreters at interview or on the job while taking classes to learn the dominant language. It would also stand to reason that if the applicant is qualified, the job should be offered and communication sources could be modified. For example, computers have the ability to translate language. Any documentation or job instructions could be shared in writing and then translated. The implementation of translators could be used within the business’s daily work routine and not just for the initial interview. Once the applicant was fluent the services would not be needed any longer.

On a different note, another negative influence among linguistics is manner in which the languages vary from each other. English language, literature, conversation use a part of speech called “figurative language”. Metaphors and similes compare two unlike things. Idiom is a phrase whose meaning is not predictable by the language used. The language used in the phrase is not meant to be taken at a denotative, aka, dictionary definition. The struggle this presents on those learning English is the lack of understanding of how to interpret the meanings. The best way to combat figurative language while one is learning English is to provide opportunities to read material which will explain origin or concrete examples of figurative language. Amelia Bedelia books are a great illustration of language being used in a figurative language format. The individuals could benefit from such examples of print and language.

Syntax can be a boundary for learning languages. The word order in