Retiring Linguistics for a Unified Language Science

Abstract:

Language research has never been richer—spanning formal theory, documentation, neuroscience, psychology, education and AI—yet it remains partitioned by disciplinary silos, methodological habits and WEIRD sampling biases. We argue that progress on core problems—how language is learned, processed, varies, breaks down and can be engineered—requires “retiring linguistics” as an isolated discipline and consolidating expertise within an integrated Language Science. This does not dilute rigor; it redeploys it, coupling formal models with quantitative evidence, community-engaged methods and clinical and technological applications. We highlight cross-silo advances (e.g., neurosemantic mapping, speech neuroprosthetics, computational sociolinguistics) as proof of concept, and identify structural obstacles—departmental incentives, fragmented training, terminological gaps—that impede coordination. We propose actionable reforms: transdisciplinary institutes and appointments, evaluation criteria that reward collaboration, curricula that braid theory, computation and field methods, funding and venues for cross-field work, and ethical frameworks centred on partnership and benefit-sharing with language communities. Unifying around problems rather than departments can deliver more generalizable science and greater societal benefit—from equitable language technologies and education to improved clinical outcomes—by aligning explanations across levels from neurons to social networks.