Linguistics is the study of language itself — how it is built, how people use it, and how it changes. It is not the same as an English class, and it is not the same as learning to speak a language. A person who does linguistics looks at sounds, words, grammar, meaning, and history, and may study one language, many languages, or language as a human thing (including sign language).

Linguistics is the study of language itselflinguistics是研究語言本身的學問 how it is built語言是怎麼組成的 how people use it人們怎麼使用它 and how it changes又是怎麼變化的 It is not the same as an English class這跟英文課不一樣 and it is not the same as learning to speak a language也跟學一種語言怎麼說不一樣 A person who does linguistics做linguistics研究的人 looks at sounds, words, grammar, meaning, and history會研究聲音、詞彙、文法、意義、和語言的歷史 and may study one language, many languages也可能研究一種語言、很多種語言 or language as a human thing或是把語言當成人類共有的東西來研究 (including sign language)（包括手語）

Though actually, people mix this up all the time: they hear linguist and picture someone who speaks five languages. Some linguists do; many study one language very closely, or babies, or how the brain holds words.

Though actually不過其實 people mix this up all the time大家常常搞混 they hear linguist聽到linguist（語言學家）這個字 and picture someone who speaks five languages就想像是一個會說五種語言的人 Some linguists do有些語言學家確實是這樣 many study one language very closely但很多人只是很深入地研究一種語言 or babies或研究嬰兒 or how the brain holds words或研究大腦怎麼儲存詞彙

The word belongs to universities and serious books, but the questions are ordinary: Why do we say it this way? Why did this word change? How is the Chinese you hear in Taiwan different from the Chinese you hear in Beijing, and how is a Chinese sentence built differently from an English one?

The word belongs to universities and serious books這個字是屬於大學和學術書籍的 but the questions are ordinary但它問的問題其實很平常 Why do we say it this way我們為什麼會這樣說 Why did this word change這個字為什麼會變化 How is the Chinese you hear in Taiwan different from the Chinese you hear in Beijing你在台灣聽到的中文跟在北京聽到的中文有什麼不一樣 and how is a Chinese sentence built differently from an English one中文句子的組成方式又跟英文句子有什麼不同