Choosing a language to study in school is already a hard decision, made even more complicated by the addition of constructed languages to the options. The term “constructed language” refers to one that was created for use within a fictional universe, such as Klingon in Star Trek or Dothraki in Game of Thrones. Several colleges now offer courses in such languages, which may sound pointless or illogical at first.
However, professors argue that these languages are a great way to learn about linguistic systems without some of the complexities that come with natural language. After all, constructed languages have their own grammars, phonologies, lexicons, and writing systems. Analyzing how they were created is an incredible way to look at language through a new lens.
Teaching Constructed Languages at the College Level
To be fair, classes about Elvish, Na’vi, Dothraki, and Klingon are not generally teaching students to speak the language. Instead, these classes look at the grammar of these languages, but they also challenge students to think like linguists and propose how they would decipher the rules on their own. This can be easier if you are using a constructed language, rather than a natural one that has many exceptions to those rules.
Once the data is collected and its support of the proposed rules is verified, professors often turn the tables and have students build their own constructed languages. Really, this is simply looking at the data tables from the other side. Rather than deciphering rules, students must create them and generate the data.
Generating these rules requires many considerations, and the languages get more complex as students continue to work on them. However, these complexities are teaching students important lessons about linguistic frameworks. Without even realizing it, students get a crash course in linguistics from a unique perspective. This can help considerably when learning other languages.
Furthermore, seeing how other students approach a constructed language can expand upon what someone considers communication and help bring new perspectives to the field. We tend to think of communication as verbal or visual, but it can also be tactile, as with braille? Might it also be olfactory?
Boosting Language Acquisition with Constructed Systems
If the real value in learning constructed languages is seeing the nitty gritty of linguistics, how can that help when studying natural ones? Linguistics agree that having a strong command of grammar, syntax, and other key language elements helps immensely with acquisition. Many people take these elements for granted as they speak a new language, just as they have done with their native tongue.
However, someone who has gone through the process of creating a language necessarily thinks about these elements as they study another language. This helps to solidify those rules in memory. Moreover, this type of analysis can help compare multiple languages within the same family if the learner can identify the shifts between them.
Some people argue that this can be accomplished by taking an introductory linguistics course, which is true enough. However, there is a big difference between learning about the bones of a language from a textbook and figuring them out yourself as you work through a constructed language and make your own.
The hands-on approach is attracting many more students to the classroom than traditional linguistics courses. Students may remember what they learn longer, considering the direct ways in which they interact with the ideas. Constructed languages are a perfect way to leverage pop culture to get students excited about linguistics and, ultimately, learning other languages.
Embracing the Sheer Fun of Learning Another Language
The other draw to the idea of learning a constructed language is that it is simply fun and grants someone access to a community in the same way that studying a natural one would. There is a community of people who speak Klingon, and they have a shared passion for the Star Trek universe.
Engaging with these communities is a way to find people with similar interests and may even open the door for perhaps learning a natural language next. While we may not see a bevy of college courses teaching these languages, many other resources exist for studying them, including apps like Duolingo, which has several constructed languages.
People passionate about the worlds of these languages may learn them to gain some insight into the mind of the creator. For example, it is said that J.R.R. Tolkien created the languages used in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy prior to writing those books. Tolkien was a professor at Oxford University and a philologist, someone who studies the development of language. Some believe that he wrote those works and created the entire LOTR universe to legitimize his created languages. Certainly, learning them gives fans a deeper appreciation for Tolkien and his creations.