Linguistics is a difficult field to major in at my school. The higher level courses involve lots of scientifically based structures and analysis of tongue and sound and accents and etc.
I don't know if it's a stretch to just say it, but I'm pretty sure an extremely logical person would do well. [I'm not really logical. I can be realistic, practical, but I'm not logical..]
I want to some day be able to teach Grammar or English as a Second Language to JHS or SHS students, and I know it's good to have an education degree. But wouldn't Linguistics be really helpful?
Or should I focus on the English courses at my school? They teach criticism and analysis of literature mostly, in English courses, don't they? That's so useless to my future prospects... (It could be fun way of tackling lessons, but I won't learn useful information)
Any useful advice?
Or even, I'm curious if you've ever studied/pursued Linguistics (is it different in different languages..? I'm native english speaker btw) and how was it? Rather than just: it sucked, or it's good, i'd like to know some pros and cons about linguistics as a disciplinary subject!
>< I hope this thread invites responses,, i've never opened a thread before.. ^
I graduate this spring with a BA in Linguistics and, while it's a really interesting field to do undergraduate work in, you should be aware of the fact that graduate study in linguistics is somewhat limited to elite/expensive schools (this is coming from an American, I don't know if systems in foreign countries are at all comparable). You have some options at lower-ranked schools, but it's still a large time and money investment for membership in a small employment pool. Just keep that in mind as you are making your plans for life after college.
In undergrad, focus on taking a balance of structure classes (morphology, syntax, phonology etc) and more "mushy-science" type classes (sociolinguistics and discourse analysis). Additionally, take as many diverse languages you can and get good at them; if you are attending a school that isn't totally Chomsky-obsessed (many aren't), it will come in greater handy than you think.
As for being a logical person, yes, there are some logical aspects but be prepared to encounter some things that seem illogical; not all of the field is insistent on concrete definitions or perspectives, so we have our fair share of topic-niches that are NOT scientific and not particularly logical, either.
If you want to teach grammar, go for Education-English concentration. If you want to do TESL either get an M.A. in the states if you want to teach here or get certified online and go elsewhere... a degree doesn't help you a great deal in foreign countries.
Hope I've helped and not just rambled >.>