Language sets us apart from all other species, and Linguistics is the study of language as a distinctively human characteristic.
Linguistics studies general principles about how languages work, how they are structured, how they change, how children learn a language, how they are used in human interaction, and their role in thinking about the world around us.
Linguistics is not concerned with telling people how they "should" speak or with giving rules for "correct grammar". Instead, Linguistics looks at how people do speak and write and tries to understand the complex system of knowledge that all speakers of language have acquired.
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Did you know?
Linguistics comprises different areas of specialisation:
phonetics (the study of speech sounds),
phonology (sound systems),
morphology (internal structure of words),
syntax (how words are combined into sentences),
semantics (meaning), pragmatics (meaning in relation to the way language is used),
socio-linguistics (language in its social context),
historical linguistics (language change),
universal typology (language universals and differences),
acquisition (how 1st and 2nd languages are learned), and
applied linguistics (the application of linguistics to language teaching and other professional activities).
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Career opportunities
Students taking the TESOL option are trained as teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Although in general linguistics does not provide specific vocational training, you will be trained to use analytic, evaluative and argumentative skills which are widely applicable in the modern world.
Linguistics is a valuable subject for those interested in 2nd language teaching, interpreting/translating, writing and editing, speech therapy, and computer programming.
The skills that you will acquire in Linguistics can be put to use in diverse kinds of employment once you have graduated.
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Further info
Please visit our website:
Write to or visit:
Department of English
1st floor, Burns Building
University of Otago
PO Box 56, Dunedin |
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