I think at this point I've read enough linguist blogs and listened enough to the lingthusiasm podcast that I'm beyond the beginner level of linguistics, at least in some areas; I just have an unbalanced degree of learning/understanding due to the non-systematic way I've gone about learning things. So I feel like now I'm at the point where doing a systematic introduction would be a combo of being taught important things and of being SO bored that I tune out entirely, lol. oh well!