Y-Axis Foundation Blog

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It is a branch of study that deals with comparative study of languages.

It involves analysing the different aspects that make up human language by looking at its form, structure and context. A degree in linguistics can open the door to many careers owing to the emphasis on critical thought, analysis and communication skills.

Aspiring linguists can pursue a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree(s) in linguistics, English or foreign languages and literature. Students who have a major in linguistics acquire valuable intellectual skills, such as analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and clarity of expression.

Linguists do not simply understand the intricacies of world languages. The linguistic knowledge can be applied to improving communication between people, contributing to translation activities, assisting in literacy efforts, and treating speech disorders.

There are many linguists out there who can speak 2–5 languages fluently.

Basic concepts of Linguistics

• Morpheme, inflection, paradigm, declension, derivation, compound
• Phoneme, allophone, segment, mora, syllable, foot, stress, tone
• Tense, aspect, mood and modality, grammatical number, grammatical gender, case
• Syntax
• Lexicology
• Semantics
• Pragmatics

Specialized Areas of Study in Linguistics

• Computational Linguistics. The statistical and/or rule-based modelling of natural language from a computational perspective
• Contact Linguistics
• Descriptive Linguistics
• Historical Linguistics
• Language Acquisition
• Morphology
• Phonetics
• Phonology

There are five branches of Linguistics:

• Macro Linguistic
• Micro Linguistic
• General Linguistic
• Computational Linguistic
• Descriptive Linguistic

Benefits of learning Linguistics or getting a degree in Linguistics

Linguist Job Description

• Linguistsstudy language and the factors that influence language use.
• They can work in several industries translating, analysing, researching, and interpreting language.
• Linguistsare employed in education, government, and other public and private sectors.
• Multilingual skilled people are always in demand

Some universities for Linguistics Programs in USA

• Albany State University
• Arizona State University
• Ball State University
• Baylor University
• Binghamton University
• Boston University
• Brooklyn College, CUNY
• California State University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Columbia University