Linguistics is certainly multifarious in nature; there are so many topics for research that I sometimes believe it is nearly impossible to focus on only one area of study or research. At times, I find myself torn in many different directions, since I am prone to look at almost anything from a linguistic perspective. However, after taking an introductory linguistics course and intensely deliberating what I can really be passionate about, I realize that it is quite a doable task to speculate about my intellectual goals and hopes for further research. After obtaining my MA, I would certainly focus on obtaining a PhD in linguistics, if my research goals made it necessary.
My second language is American Sign Language (ASL), which I believe gives me quite an advantage when deciding goals and topics to delve into for research. Since I am interested in a language that is still relatively new in terms of
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ASL is a language that uses OSV order, and I believe a comparison and contrast to the SVO order of English is a fascinating topic that is certainly worthy of further research. Additionally, I am interested in the connection between prosody and syntax/semantics. Since I have been focused on interpreting, semantics has truly been incorporated into my learning and skills. In particular, I soon took note of the concept of semantic focus. This, along with other aspects of semantics, can drastically alter interpretations. Semantics is crucial to interpretation, and I can see myself using what I have learned to research semantics further. While I could not honestly say I know what specific topic I want to focus on for my thesis, I know my thesis would most likely involve research pertaining to syntax/semantics. I would also prefer to focus on ASL, if possible, since it is my second language, and I have the skills and desire to investigate this language