Cognitive linguistics studies the relationship between language and the mind, including cognitive and human mechanisms. It emerged in the 1970s as a way to link form and meaning through studies of the mind and cognitive abilities. The field examines the psychology of speech, language acquisition, and the connection between language and thought. It is closely related to other linguistic fields and can be studied at various levels.
Cognitive linguistics is a branch of linguistics that examines the relationship between language and the mind. The idea that language and speech production is a cognitive ability is a basic idea around which the field is centered. The research areas contained within this particular branch of linguistics include both cognitive and human mechanisms and how they relate to and explain the interactions between language and communication. Pragmatics, economics of language, imagery, metaphors and categorization are all topics that could be studied in the field of cognitive linguistics. Memory and recall are also important aspects of cognitive linguistics research.
The field of cognitive linguistics first emerged in the 1970s as an offshoot of more traditional Chomskyan theory and linguistic exploration that sharply separated form and meaning. Followers of cognitive linguistics felt that the form of language could be linked to its semantic meaning through studies of the mind, the brain, and cognitive abilities as a whole. The interface between syntax and semantics is examined and explored within the field as well as a general investigation into how human cognitive abilities are able to use language as a tool to organize and process thoughts and communicate these thoughts with others. This field also examines the psychology of speech and the use of language.
In recent years, the relationship and connection between language and thought has become a major topic within the field. Experimental research within this particular branch of linguistics uses large amounts of linguistic data demonstrating language in use, particularly in the field of language acquisition. Many experiments examine the cognitive system throughout speech production, including periods of low or high pressure, emotion, or other variables or factors that can influence speech production and provide observable or measurable differences in speech production.
In the early 1990s, cognitive linguistics was a generally accepted branch and specialization of linguistics. There are now a number of national and international conferences held on a regular basis. Several journals are dedicated to this branch of linguistics and some published by professional associations or academic institutions.
The branch of linguistics is closely related to other linguistic fields, including general and theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, pragmatics, semantics, functional linguistics, and descriptive linguistics. Cognitive linguistics can be studied at various levels. It is usually required for a student to earn a bachelor’s degree in general linguistics or within a language and communication program before specializing in cognitive linguistics at the master’s or doctoral level.
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