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The University of New South Wales

Welcome to Linguistics

 

Linguistics Specialisations

Linguistics Undergraduate Courses

Major Sequence in Linguistics

Honours in Linguistics

Linguistics is the study of human language. Its practitioners address questions such as: How do people use language in various situations? What is the biological basis for language? Is language unique to the human species? How and why do languages change? How do children learn language? What is the meaning of ‘meaning’? Can machines talk? How does language relate to other modes of communication? As well, linguistics provides a basis for a variety of practical applications, including the teaching and learning of foreign languages, translating and interpreting, facilitating cross–cultural communication, diagnosing and treating language disorders, providing linguistic support for such professions as law and medicine, developing language curricula in schools, improving literacy skills, generating speech by computer, and producing ‘plain English’ documents, to name a few.

Linguistics at UNSW has grown steadily in both staff numbers and student numbers since it was formed in 1996.  We pride ourselves on the balance and comprehensiveness of our undergraduate program, on our thriving Honours and Higher Research degree programs, and on the rapidly growing popularity of our MA Coursework programs in Applied Linguistics and TESOL.

Linguistics graduates can be found in the many fields of language education, including teaching foreign languages, teaching English as a second language, and literacy development. Linguistic training is also necessary for careers in writing and editing (which require meticulous appreciation of language), in translation and interpreting (combined with a study of foreign languages), and in language pathology (involving remedial work with people suffering from language impairment).