|
Humanities and Social Sciences |
 |
Linguistics ProgramWhat is LinguisticsWhat is Linguistics? Linguistics is the analytic study of language. It is concerned with all aspects of human language as well as the structure of individual languages. As a discipline, it examines the design of language, how it relates to thought, how it functions in society, how it develops and changes, and how it is acquired and learned. Here are some ideas about how language and Linguistics relate to life... • We use language to organise thinking about our world but what is language? The discipline of Linguistics sits at the crossroads of humanities, social science and science. Training in Linguistics allows you to develop skills in data analysis, problem solving and logical thinking. It also invites you to think about how language relates to world view and how you view the language of others. Linguistics has a lot to tell us about how people think about and operate in the world. • Language (as reading, writing, speaking and listening) provides the basis for communication. We tend to take it for granted because it is often an unconscious skill. Linguistics allows us to understand how language works. This puts us in charge of how we use it. • Language is a basic social necessity. Language is the means through which decisions are made and communicated. It is a very powerful social resource. This is reflected in the fact that Linguistics has connections with many other fields. For example, Linguistics has considerable overlap with psychology, sociology, anthropology, computer science, philosophy and education studies. It also interacts with areas in history, archaeology, physics, biology, and the law. Why Study Linguistics Because language is so central to who we are as human beings, the study of Linguistics allows us to approach the core of our experience as social beings, as thinkers and as speakers. • By doing Linguistics you will learn about how language works. This allows you to appreciate all kinds of things about all kinds of languages. If you're training to be a teacher, translator or interpreter this will increase your ability to do those jobs well. No matter what your intended career, once you know the rules of your own language, you can knowingly break them for playful or artistic reasons. • Linguistics allows you to develop skills in logical thinking, problem solving and data analysis. • In Linguistics we are interested in the great variety of ways language is used. As a result, training in Linguistics will expose you to a whole range of social situations and settings from around the world and across history. • Knowing how language works helps with basic academic and general life skills. It helps you write better essays, communicate effectively with people from other cultures, reflect critically on things you hear and read. • Linguistics give you insights into the ways in which people use language to express and reflect their feelings, thoughts and identities. This means that wh21 July, 2008s going on.
Linguistics at Work Since language plays such an important role in everyday life, it should not be surprising that Linguistics is useful in a variety of jobs outside the University. You will find linguists in a range of different fields (sometimes having completed postgraduate training) including some of the following: • Aboriginal affairs The following site has comments from former students of linguistics about how their training is relevant to their careers in a range of fields. Linguistics as a Discipline The main branches of study in Linguistics include: Applied - methods of teaching community and foreign languages • acoustic phonetics Linguistics and your degree As a discipline, Linguistics involves both science and the arts and for that reason will appeal to a wide range of students from different backgrounds. A knowledge of Linguistics is particularly useful for students of languages, archaeology, history, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, education, women's studies, speech therapy and cognitive science. At La Trobe University, students will find many possibilities for interdisciplinary studies which include subjects from Linguistics. Interested students should consult the Course Handbook . • Aboriginal Studies • Australian Studies • Development Studies • Logic In addition to being incorporated into an Arts Degree, Linguistics is available as a course of study in the following specialist degrees • Bachelor of Asian Studies • Bachelor of International Relations • Combined Bachelor of Arts and Education Linguistics is fun This page includes a range of links to interesting materials relating to linguistics. It is intended to give you an idea about the range of ways in which the study of Linguistics is relevant to life more generally – as well as showing how much fun it can be... All kinds of information about writing systems from around the world at Omniglot Find out about regional variation in Australian English at Word Map What does a hippopotamus have in common with a feather??? Pages with links to interesting, fun and nifty Linguistics stuff http://www.utexas.edu/courses/linguistics/resources/other/ All kinds of fun with words: Merriam Webster' dictionary game page The game room at yourdictionary.com Content Approved by: Head of School
Page maintained by: Administrative Officer Last Updated: 21 July, 2008 |