Language can be used by humans to work towards a more just society.
That's just one of the many things Jewel Goodwin learned in the Living Language: Science and Society course in 2020. A recent Speech Sciences graduate, Jewel shares her thoughts on the course and advice for students considering taking it this year: "you won't regret it."
What was your final project and what did it involve?
For our final project, we proposed an immersive virtual reality game that was designed to infuse language learning into 'living' a day to day life with a specific language. Since so much of language learning is based on context and paralinguistic cues, we believe a VR game would aid with language learning over and above learning in a traditional classroom setting.
What did you learn by taking the Living Language course?
I learned so much in the Living Language course.
I learned about how language is a defining feature of being human, but also how we can work with language towards a more just society. I learned about how different fields of study are struggling to communicate with each other, despite the actual language spoken, because of jargon and field-specific uses for words. And I learned more about being sensitive with word choices, being cognizant of where words originated and what they once meant.
What did you enjoy the most? The least?
I enjoyed the interaction between classmates the most. I am not often (if ever) in a class with such a diverse background and I really appreciated the differing perspectives and skill sets of my classmates.
There is nothing I didn't enjoy about this course.
What was your main takeaway from the course?
My main takeaway from this course is the importance of collaboration across disciplines to achieve goals. We have different skill sets, different lived experience, and different ideas for the future. One can't, for example, launch a virtual reality game without programmers, graphic designers, musicians, illustrators, writers, language consultants, and more.
Would you recommend this course? What advice would you give to students considering taking it?
I absolutely recommend this course for anyone. It touches on something that's at the heart of every field of study: the language we use, and the language we share or don't share with others.
This course was one I really looked forward to in my week.
If you are thinking about it, I'd say jump in and do it. You won't regret it.
Interested in taking the course this year? Find out more information and sign up for a registration alert at www.languagesciences.ubc.ca/course