Linguistics is the scientific study of human language.
Linguists are interested in questions such as: What are the structural properties of languages, at the level of sounds, words, sentences, and meaning? To what extent are the languages of the world similar or different? How is language acquired, by children and in adulthood? How is it processed in the mind/brain? How do people produce and perceive speech? How do languages change over time? How do computers use language and help in the processing of language? The Linguistics Society of America provides further information on the field.
Currently, we offer undergraduate programs that lead to a major, minor, or Honours as part of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Linguistics or Speech Sciences. Through these programs, students will be immersed in a highly interdisciplinary field that combines research methods from the humanities and the social, natural, and mathematical sciences.
We also offer individual courses for students interested in fulfilling the Arts Breadth requirements in Social and Behavioural Systems.
Note: students may also be interested in learning more about related programs, such as the major in Cognitive Systems, the major and minor in First Nations and Endangered Languages, or the Diploma in linguistics for post-baccalaureate students.
