Linguistics
There are 7,000 languages in the world, and we're interested in studying all of them! Our explorations yield insights not only about languages, but also about the nature of the human mind.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language — we develop techniques to explore patterns that all human languages have in common and investigate the ways in which each is unique.
Students in the Tri-College Linguistics program:
- Examine the structural components of sound, form, and meaning, and the precise interplay between them.
- Interact with the field of linguistics through a series of foundation courses in linguistics theory and methodology.
- Hone analytical and argumentation skills, and prepare for future pursuits in any field to which such skills are essential, including psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, mathematics, computer science, computational linguistics, sociology, and anthropology.
- Apply theoretical and methodological tools to the analysis of linguistic data, particularly in forming and testing hypotheses, and arrive at conclusions that the data and arguments support.
- Understand how language influences the way we interact with each other and with the larger world around us.
- Investigate how people acquire their knowledge about language, how this knowledge interacts with other cognitive processes and how it varies across speakers and geographic regions.
More information about Linguistics is available on Inside Bryn Mawr.