Languid Linguistics

No matter which subjects you pick in Graduation and Post Graduation, some are offered to us on a platter albeit mandatory. We don’t have a choice and therefore give in reluctantly.

At School the only subjects I thrived on was English, Social Studies, Value Education and Physical Training as in Games. At college I loathed Political Science and in P.G Linguistics is an ANATHEMA. Linguistics is the Science of Language, Phonetics, Morphology, Syntax etc. Like I had mentioned earlier, Mass Comm. and Linguistics were introduced as inter-disciplinary courses to increase employability. Mass Comm. is concrete and a ticket to a great career. I have no clue how linguistics will benefit us?? To make matters worse, our linguistics professor is a pain-in-the-neck.

Imagine the plight of a student who cannot comprehend what the professor is teaching about? The very purpose of that teaching is defeated. Our MA Class is a melting pot of not just different languages and religions but nationalities. Our professor has a predisposition to quoting examples in Telugu only. Being a Telugu I can understand. But how can my counterparts who can’t comprehend Telugu, relate to it?? The last straw: His English more often than not sounds like Telugu. Burgundy is pronounced as boor-gun-di. Bwahaha. The entire class broke into raucous laughter. I’m notoriously known for my boisterous laughter and my friends will vouch for that!

The other day, on Thursday, he delineated some 8 points out of which I hold dissenting views on two to three of them.
i.Apparently women make finer distinctions in colours: burgundy, crimson, beige etc.
I agree to disagree. The World has seen a string of Painters who are more of men than women. It is their aesthetic sense that makes them a class apart from the rest.
ii.Men interrupt more than women.
I don’t think on the same lines! Today’s women will put their foot down and say NO to things they can’t take.
iii. A woman’s discourse is more co-operative while a man is competitive. No way! If News is anything to go by, it is women who are giving a run to men’s money in every sphere of life. Gone are the days when women compromised. The new age woman is aberrant to the stereotype of someone who places others interests above hers.

Most of the points made above could perhaps be a consensus taken randomly or just conjectures. I’m reiterating that the gender equation today is not the same. It underwent a tremendous transition!

PS: Linguistics class certainly sucks with its nuances and an old man, might I say sexist also (his examples distinguishing men and women), who is giving us a taste of ennui. Poor us… But do we have an option?