Linguistics is the study of human language. As language is one of the most important things that makes us human, by studying language, you can learn a lot about what makes us who we are.

At its best, linguistics is a subject that covers the humanities (including the history of language), social sciences (including sociolinguistics and anthropology), medicine and other biological sciences (including the human brain, evolution and speech disorders), computing (including speech recognition), and more.

To read what famous linguists think, see below:

  • Read why William Labov, a famous sociolinguist, decided to study language
  • Read the website of Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus at MIT in the USA
  • Visit the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, a major centre of research including language, in Leipzig in Germany
  • Watch the movie of The Linguists who study endangered languages around the world

 

What about after university? What can English give you?

Knowing English can help you get the job you want. It gives you:

  • Language skills
  • An international dimension
  • Awareness of other cultures
  • Opportunities to work and travel abroad
  • And the ability to communicate with the world