Study linguistics abroad

Linguistics is the academic study of language. It focuses on how and why language varies in use and meaning between different groups and social settings.

As a linguistics student, you’ll analyze the rules, structure, and context of language, as well as looking at how it has changed over time. You’ll study how people learn to use language, develop accents, and the connection between sound and meaning.

Studying linguistics abroad is one of the best ways to understand how people use language to communicate in different countries and cultures. You’ll be able to spot differences and similarities between language use in your home and host country, giving you a more in-depth understanding of the field.

You can study linguistics as a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. You’ll learn about the core areas of the field by studying a BA over three or four years. An MA and PhD will require you to narrow your focus and concentrate on a specific branch of linguistics. These postgraduate qualifications take roughly one year and five years respectively to complete.

If you decide to attend university in the US, you’ll select linguistics as your major. This means that you’ll spend the first two years of your degree gaining your general education, before concentrating on linguistics modules in your final two years.

Many universities offer the opportunity to study linguistics alongside another subject, like English, psychology, or a foreign language. This is a useful way of tailoring your degree to suit your interests and ambitions.

You’ll be taught mainly through a mixture of lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Assessment will usually take the form of essays, reports, exams, presentations, and group projects. In your final year of study, you’ll probably need to write a dissertation.

It’s difficult to outline exactly what a linguistics program will look like because of variations between universities. However, there are some core areas of study that will appear in most courses, such as:

• Phonetics and phonology
• Syntax
• Semantics
• Sociolinguistics - gender, ethnicity, class
• Language variation and change
• Cognitive linguistics
• Linguistic theory

As a linguistics graduate, you’ll have plenty of career pathways open to you. Your detailed knowledge of language use, meaning, and interpretation could help you excel in a number of roles, including:

• Language consultant
• Speech and language therapist
• Lexicographer
• Languages teacher
• Publisher
• Public relations officer
• Communications officer
• Copy editor

To pursue some linguistic careers, you’ll need to undertake specialized postgraduate programs. Speak with your university’s careers service about the best way to pursue your dream job.