5.5 Tip of the day

Today, just some reflections on a general mindset I think people can profit from:

No matter your skill level: re-read and re-watch basics over and over.

Instructors have a different perspective and very often explain aspects that seem important at their own skill level. Sometimes there are realizations of the type: “I should have known that when I started,” or, “now that I know x, y becomes so much clearer.” Very often, however, this is a fallacy, and that type of information is not yet useful to a beginner at all. Therefore, most introductory materials have a lot to offer to advanced learners as they offer insights into the thinking of a fellow-learner. I, personally, still go over introductory materials again and again, be it in linguistics, statistics, programming or whatever I need in my day-to-day job. People who stop with that, I believe, lose track of what’s important really quickly. They also might not even be aware that they don’t have sufficient understanding of some of the ‘basics’ in their field.

So re-read, re-watch, re-visit. If you think, you know your way around in your field of interest, go back and reflect on it. There will be aspects you have overlooked. And, if you feel like your still a novice, it’ll help anyway. Worst case: you have the same joy of discovering the facts and feelings that lead you to your field in the first place. It’s never a waste of time. :)

Which leads me to the practical conclusion: if you end up struggling to find something in linguistics that is worth writing about in your term paper, return to the beginnings, skim through introductory videos, textbooks, slides, etc. If you’re not yet brimming with ideas and vibrating with an urge to find out more about language, go back to the basics. Maybe you discover things you didn’t see when there was an exam in your neck.