Like many sci-fi and fantasy shows before it, 'Game of Thrones' takes its fictional languages seriously, so much so that UC Berkeley is offering a course for the summer session entitled 'The Linguistics of Game of Thrones and the Art of Language Invention.' As its name suggests, the course delves into the languages on Game of Thrones, specifically focusing on Dothraki and High Valyrian, while it more broadly discusses the thought processes behind inventing languages.
'The Linguistics of Game of Thrones' might seem like a gimmicky course, but UC Berkeley isn't simply offering it for the headlines. It's taught by David J. Peterson, an alumnus of the school's linguistics department and the inventor of the Game of Thrones languages. Peterson has worked on several shows' and movies' fictional languages in the past, including Marvel's 'Thor' and Showtime's 'Penny Dreadful.'
Fantasy Linguistics Courses
'The Linguistics of Game of Thrones' is a New Course at UC Berkeley
Trend Themes
1. Fantasy Linguistics - A trend of offering courses and studies focused on invented languages from popular fantasy shows like Game of Thrones, providing educational opportunities for language enthusiasts and fans of the genre.
2. Language Invention - An emerging trend of exploring the art and process of inventing languages, creating opportunities for linguists and creative professionals to contribute to fictional worlds in various media forms.
3. Science Fiction Education - A trend of universities and educational institutes offering courses dedicated to the study of science fiction, allowing students to analyze and explore the literary and linguistic aspects of popular franchises.
Industry Implications
1. Education - The education industry can embrace the trend of offering specialized courses on invented languages, attracting language enthusiasts and fans of fantasy shows to enroll in unique educational opportunities.
2. Entertainment - The entertainment industry, including film and television production studios, can seek collaboration with language inventors and experts to enrich fictional worlds and make them more immersive for audiences.
3. Language Services - The language services industry can tap into the trend of language invention by providing translation and localization services for fictional languages, catering to the needs of media franchises and their dedicated fan bases.