Language by Laura

When I was chatting with Elisa about being part of this interview series, she wanted to make it clear that she didn’t study linguistics specifically, but it came up in subjects that were part of her double major in Classical Studies and Creative Writing. I’ve talked to lots of people, and interviewed many for this series, who have PhDs and MAs in linguistics, but I also love hearing from people who took a handful of linguistics subjects and still find them useful in their careers. Elisa still draws on her linguistics education as a writer and editor, and runs her own agency, Craft Your Content. You can follow Elisa on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

What did you study at university?

I started school at the University of Maine as a music major, in education and vocal performance. When I realized in my first-year I would never be the next famous stadium-filler, I switched my major to philosophy — but quickly grew tired of listening to old men tell me what to think and do. But I love history and philosophy and reading, so I decided to pursue a Classics major, with a minor in Latin. Not sure what one does with that degree, I also decided to add a second major, Creative Writing.

My linguistics classes were often deep dives into the histories and changes in language, furthering my teen love of definitions and etymologies. I came to understanding how the very vocabulary choice of various periods in writing and politics shaped the culture and mindset of the masses.

What is your job?

My title is Owner and Executive Editor — I own and operate an editorial agency that provides proofreading, editing, and writing services to entrepreneurial writers and brands. I like to say that we work with people to make their own words even better, because my years of studies (in school and personally) have taught me that the way so many of us write barely scrapes the surface of what is possible; of what we are capable of.

How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

After years working as a writer, I found that one of the things that I struggled with the most working with editors is that they often stripped down my voice and writing, creating something generic and primed for “collecting clicks” or hitting deadlines. The few good ones I worked with me to improve my writing, understand (even more) the power of words, and craft great pieces that still read as I’d wanted. I decided to build something that would provide that for others.

Though I work with a team of editors and coaches who are also rocking some serious linguistic geekdom, I’m probably the most dedicated to the actual academia of it. Jumping into conversations frequently about the historical significance of a particular word or phrase, writing about my own etymology journal (and constantly telling others to create their own), and explaining to clients why I make the edits I’m making — so they understand the perspective I’m coming from and can better decide whether the feedback has merit.

Do you have any advice do you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?

To focus more on the linguistics and language study, and less on the Creative Writing and English major. To quote the brilliant Will Hunting, “You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library.”

I didn’t end up finishing my degree program, for a number of personal reasons, and had to leave after my third year. As I was wrestling with the decision, this quote popped into my head more than a few times. That being said, if someone wanted to fund the rest of my undergrad Classics degree at St. Andrews or Oxford, I wouldn’t be opposed!

Any other thoughts or comments?

Having studied the way that language has impacted history and politics and philosophy for centuries, I feel we are at an important point as a global society. The words we use matter, as they are shaping rhetoric on a daily basis. Beyond sensationalism and gamesmanship, we communicate almost exclusively with each other using shared vocabularies and understandings. The influence that media, writers, speakers, cultural leaders, and so many others choose have need to be carefully considered, and uttered with the reverence that generations before us knew linguistics should be afforded.

For more from Elisa:

Personal website

Craft Your Content business website

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Previously:

Interview with a Language Creator

Interview with a Translator and Business Owner

Interview with a Conductor

Interview with an Accent Coach

Interview with two Communications Professionals

Two IPA versions of classic games from Nathan Sanders, who has kindly posted the rules and card decks on his website. 

IPA Hunt (like Battleship, but with IPA vowels) 

On your team’s turn, call out a vowel using phonetic terminology. It must be precise enough to target a specific symbol. For example, to target [ø̈], you could call out “centralized front upper mid round vowel” or “near-front upper mid round vowel” or “retracted front upper mid round vowel”, all of which have the same meaning here. 

If the opposing team has no group containing the symbol you called out, they call out “miss!”.

Full game rules and play grid (pdf)

IPA Discard (like Uno or Crazy Eights, but with IPA consonants)

On your turn, you must either (1) discard a card from your hand face up onto the active card in the discard pile or (2) draw a new card from the draw deck into your hand. If you cannot discard, you must draw, but you may choose to draw instead of discarding, if you wish. Note that once you draw a card, your turn is over, so you cannot discard the card you just drew. You must wait until your next turn to discard. 

To discard a card, your discarded card must match the active card in either (1) place of articulation or (2) manner of articulation (or both)