Linguistics Major

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Hello, I would like to major in Linguistics but my university doesn't have the major, so I am doing Spanish linguistics. My obsession is languages. I love beautiful languages, and it's the only thing that takes my off bs. I am going to be having a meeting with disability people tomorrow to see if they will pay for all my college, they said they will pay my whole tuition. They remind me that they are not a scholarship program they are a job finding program, and if they are convinced that my major will get me a job then they will "waste" or "spend" their money on it. I can convince them that I can become a teacher, translator, professor. But I haven't been in college yet so I don't know if I wanna be a professor. I sure as heck dont want to be a high school teacher because I already don't like talking to people who don't want to hear what I have to say. If I'm a college professor, people will like to hear what I wanna say and it is more like a haven away from being ignored and also doing what I like to do.

My mom thinks I should do computers so I can make some money and get outta college quick and she tells me to be realistic. But I have trouble doing things I don't like. I am good at computers, but I don't have the will to learn it. Temple Grandin is a Professor in animal science, and people may have thought what can she do with a degree like that. But she loved it so much that she god her phd in it. I like languages a lot too. I don't want to work corporate jobs, my social skills aren't good enuff for mind games and stuff like that. John Elder Robinson the author of look me in the eye quit his corporate job after he found out that he couldn't take it anymore and started working on cars. I think people should do what they like, because they are more likely to excel, especially autistic people.

I also think people in my family are afraid that I may not get a gf unless I have some money. But my brothers tell me to do what I like, because I can make some money with it anyways. I love talking to Mexicans in Spanish, and it surprises me how good my social skills become when I speak a foreign language. Its more like I'm acting, because when I speak a foreign language I am acting. I try to sound Mexican, I try to sound Italian, and french and I do a good job at imitating people. and Mexicans are never offended when I speak their language.

But doing something for money is gonna make college feel a lot like high school. Hating it. Not feeling like going everyday. I want college to be the place where I can focus on my obsessions, get distracted by my obsessions, fall in love with my obsessions, and love waking up everyday. whereas if im doing something I hate, I start thinking about socializing and making friends, and getting a gf and then I start to hate myself.

But my mom can't see it from an autistic point of view, she sees it from an NT mom pov.

what should I do. I ask you aspies, because you deal with what I deal with

Do what you love. There's no point in doing something that you don't like and languages are a useful and versitile skill.

Hey Soledad! Nice to meet another linguaphile. I did what I loved at university, English and Classics, so I know exactly how you feel.

I haven't been able to make a career out of it, because I had a child instead (and he's far better than anything else I planned to do with my life) but I have been able to use my language skills on various occasions.

You could, for example, translate at a court for witnesses... you don't have to be their bossom buddies, you just have to translate what they say into English. You could translate papers online, if you have a scientific bent there's a lot of money to be made from translating research between languages. At one time I was able to make money translating chess books, but those halcyon days seem to have passed.

But I really do think you can make a case that, as a Spanish graduate, you would be able to make a good living after graduation. It's a major language, both in America and Europe, and there are lots of opportunities for you to use it, either face to face, or, as you would probably prefer, via computer.

Good luck!

I took LING 101 as a "required elective" in college and found it fascinating. I was good at the "syntax" part of it (logical and rule-oriented), but the "semantics" part confused me. I got by with a B, I think.

You have all interesting insight. I would like to hear more. I feel more confident now to stand up to the disability people and my mom. Because it's my life, and when my mom is passed away years from now and I'm a grown man doing something i dont like, there will be no one to please, so I may as well please my myself. having aspergers, life is hard enuff so I may as well do something I love.

I had big problems saying no to my Mum about finishing my higher degree and everyone said 'It's only a thesis' but I didn't want to do it. Now because I didn't do it, I can apply for a grant for college this year (if I get through the college interview stage). Don't let others decide about this because it's your life, your happiness at stake.

I will be very interested in reading more from you about your desire to go into linguistics. My son is only 14, but he's showing an interest in languages, and we are wondering if he will end up in linguistics as well. I think it's a fine thing to go into -- especially if it's what you love. You will do well, no matter what, if this is your obsession. You've already received many great ideas of what you could do with a linguistics-type degree. I've looked into this a bit, and you could work for the foreign service, or as has already been stated, do translation work. I like the translating for people in court -- I hadn't thought of that one. I think there's always work in translating if you love what you do and are really good at it.

Are you inclined towards learning other languages?

Another possible related job would be teaching English as a second language to non-English speakers.

My major is CS, but I find linguistics to be fascinating as well. I don't know your exact situation or how feasible it might be to change colleges, but if you definitely want to go into linguistics as opposed to Spainish linguistics, why not switch to a school that has what you want?

Soledad, my son is currently learning German, but in a year he can take Chinese as a sophmore in high school. He is also interested in learning Japanese. I don't know why he has always had this leaning towards asian languages.

I guess the issue with CS is that it is too mathematical and rigid like that, rather than like other languages? Perhaps that you like speaking language? I am just curious, as I don't know your specific issue, but I tend to think more like your mother. That is that I am very worried about financial possibilities. Having strong language skills is good, but it can be difficult to find ideal employment for anybody. In the end, strong specialization is a strategy with a good point in that it increases the probability of success in the field, but it is a weakness in that it is a relatively risky strategy.

The best possibility for you is likely becoming a corporate translator in some form or fashion, and this is likely something that is best done if you have some knowledge of perhaps law, business, or technology. I don't know what else, as I doubt you want a sales or customer service position of any sort. Any liberal arts degree is difficult from an employment standpoint, as a lot of people have language skills, and thus teachers are not rare, and there are a lot of PhDs out there, and people trying to enter grad school.

If you want to major in Spanish linguistics, then do it.

I myself am very interested in languages, especially "useless" ones such as Swedish and Finnish. People always ask me what I'm going to use these languages (or a degree in Scandinavian Studies or Linguistics) for, which is a question that is becoming increasingly annoying. In our society something always has to be "useful," meaning there are many apparent job opportunities associated with it, to be worthwhile pursuing. You will be able to find a job with a degree in Spanish linguistics, and even if it's not as high paying as a job as a computer programer, for example, you will still be much happier than if you had studied something you don't like.