What the heck is Language Science?

It ain’t your high school English class!

Language Science, also known as the science of Linguistics, is the systematic study of how humans use language to communicate. In an informal sense, we’re ALL language scientists because from the day we’re born, we work hard to make sense of the language patterns we hear and see used around us. We figure out how new vocabulary, sentence patterns, word meanings and other features of language fit in with what we already know.

We may not think of this work as science because we do most of it unconsciously, but it still counts! A lot of people also formally study this fascinating and useful field of science in college or graduate school, but very few get the chance to do so during elementary, middle or high school.

Language Science Central is dedicated to creating and curating resources for inquiry-based language exploration for all ages. My mission is to support educators – especially those working in K-12 – in teaching about language in a way that celebrates linguistic diversity, takes a descriptive rather than prescriptive approach to grammar, and creates inclusion and equity for students with diverse language backgrounds and abilities.