Episode 5 Shownotes: Linguistics has a branding problem
Episode 5: Linguistics has a branding problem
Recorded June 17th, 2025, 9pm.
Music cred: DanAndPhilBEATS. Track: A Good Stretch
Welcome to episode five of the Apprentice Dialogues!
In this episode, Ariel & Michelle take a crack (or a kick, or a hit, or a punch, or a stab…) at describing what linguistics is. Using their backgrounds in applied linguistics, as well as the examples of others who might have been linguists - such as Ariel’s very prescriptive mother - they get into the misconception between being multilingual and being a linguist, issues around second-language learning, and the very broad yet niche experience that is operating within applied linguistics. They also provide real-life examples of linguistics, talk about generational differences in language use, and have a few cat fights about what certain phrases mean.
Here just for an intro to linguistics and not the banter? Jump to 12:41!
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Some episode resources!
Patient-Doctor conversation analysis (palliative care pain assessment)
(Dense reading) Re: The debate about what counts as a “word” in linguistics (Chapter 1: Orientation: The word of linguistic theory)
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Ariel: Linguistics has a branding problem - I’m excited to share this episode because it has to do with branding - well kind of.
Michelle: Yeah kind of. Not really. Kind of though.
Ariel: Except that yes, it does - in the sense that a brand should convey clearly what the product does or stands for - right? So like if you see promotional things about the physics department or the Latin literatures department at any given university, it’s really clear what the messaging is in terms of what the study is. With linguistics it’s so unclear and confusing.
Michelle: I always wonder: is it because language is *everywhere* and therefore hard to pin down? Or is it more that linguistics isn’t known to the general public in the way that like, say, psychology or physics is? You know what I mean? People have a rough idea in their head of what physicists and psychologists “do,” even if it’s oversimplified and not representative of the entire field. Meanwhile, you tell people you’re studying or have studied linguistics, and…
Ariel: - and they’re like “whoa! what the heck is that?!” And I think then they take a moment and their brain does that thing where it needs to find solid ground and they’re like “oh right like languages!”
Michelle: “Oh so how many languages do you speak?”
Ariel: How many do I speak? No, I know what you mean. It just goes off and we start talking about the languages we speak (or don’t speak) and then the whole point of trying to discuss linguistics is over.
Michelle: (Spanish and German for Ariel, by the way).
Ariel: That’s not the point!! (Spanish and Chinese for Michelle…)
Michelle: I know!! But everyone wants to know!!
Ariel: UGH. Anyways, you know what’s weird is that lately I’ve been thinking about how I live in a few different multilingual spaces - which is cool. But that’s for another episode. None of those spaces are German btw. I do want to rekindle that language.
Michelle: Wow we’re really not doing a good job at demystifying the stereotype that linguists are people that speak 10,000 languages. But don’t worry, that’s what this episode is for!
Ariel: It is. I do think though Michelle that one thing that linguists do have in common with regards to languages, is that we all share an interest in them. I know a few people who aren’t linguists who literally never thought of learning another language. To me that’s just wild.
Michelle: You know what, for a lot of people that is the gateway into linguistics. Because there has to be a gateway into this pseudo secret society. That people get degrees in or whatever. Go to conferences for, etc.
Ariel: The secret society with all their textbooks and articles.
Michelle: Yeah.
Season 1 of the Apprentice Dialogues is themed around public scholarship and creativity. In this episode, we try to do the public scholarship work that linguistics is dreadfully lacking. Everyone speaks at least one language, and we all use language every day; we promise there will be something in the field that’s relevant to you!
