The Berkeley School (of Linguistics)

The Berkeley School of Linguistics, associated with the University of California, Berkeley, emphasizes a cognitive and functional approach to language. It studies how language reflects thought and social context, focusing on the ways people use language in real-life situations. This perspective considers language as a tool shaped by mental processes and societal needs, rather than just an abstract system of rules. Their work often involves analyzing language data to understand patterns of use, meaning, and variation, highlighting the interconnectedness of language, cognition, and culture, and aiming to explain why languages are shaped the way they are.