This unique collection of essays, edited by and for students of linguistics, offers insights into the personal and professional journeys of some of the key thinkers in language studies.

With contributions by fifteen established scholars, including Noam Chomsky, William Labov, Diane Larsen-Freeman, and Ofelia García, the volume provides first-hand insights into the 'becoming' of a linguist, and the many joys and challenges which come with it. The contributors pair honest and practical academic advice with personal experiences to assist novice and aspiring linguists to find their footing in the rapidly changing landscape of language studies, and guide them through linguistics past, present, and future. Autobiographical and reflexive, each chapter also includes recommendations for key readings and resources used or produced by the contributors.

As a volume focused on the people behind the ideas, Becoming a Linguist will be of interest to students and scholars of language and linguistics, the history of linguistic thought, as well as the interested general reader.