3 405 languages context speaks languages let comment one becomes linguist michael kac writes suspect though sure could take even experience suggests linguists get interested field result second language learning experience least experience important influence might true many linguists would like generalize observation seems many linguists entered field point lives trouble using language communication general could learning first second language could growing multilanguage environment physical handicap stutter linguistics serves formal tool compensate deficiency vividly remember struggled german punctuation rules 6th grade felt relieved began understand structure sentences knowledge could applied find correct spot commas etc started interested linguistics ended computational linguist interested learn evidence hypothesis martin volk martin volk university koblenz landau tel 49 2619119 469 institute computational linguistics rheinau 3 4 fax 49 26137524 w5400 koblenz germany email volk brian unikoblenz de