Linguistics, BA

Department of Linguistics, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

59 credits

Introduction

Linguistics, the science of language, is an interdisciplinary field which relates to the diversity of the cultures and languages of the world. It is an integral part of most serious pursuits dealing with aspects of language study and analysis. As the boundaries of the world change, an understanding of individual languages and cultures becomes increasingly important. Communication in this complex society requires knowledge of the workings of languages, as well as their interrelationship with their respective cultures.

Why Consider a Linguistics Major?

All Linguistics majors are expected to acquire knowledge of the functions of language at various levels and knowledge of the techniques and methods used in language analysis. A student of Linguistics will thereby significantly advance his or her appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity. Students who major in linguistics acquire valuable intellectual skills, including analytic reasoning and argumentation, and learn how to study language scientifically. This means making insightful observations, formulating and testing clear hypotheses, making arguments and drawing conclusions, and communicating findings to a wider community. Linguistics majors are therefore well equipped for a variety of jobs and graduate-level programs.

Contact Information

Linguistics Director Kristin Denham Humanities 341 360-650-3217 Kristin.Denham@wwu.edu

Sample Careers

Higher Education research and teaching: linguistics, philosophy, psychology, speech sciences, anthropology, computer science, English, modern and classical languages | K-12 Teaching (World Languages, ESL, literacy) | Computer Industry (speech recognition, natural language processing, AI) | Translating and Interpreting | Language documentation and fieldwork | Publishing (editing, writing) | Lexicography (dictionary research and editing) | Law (forensic linguistics)

Major/Career Resources

http://www.wwu.edu/careers/students_choosingamajor.shtml

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

To declare, a student must have completed the following requirements:

• LING 201 or ENGL 370 or TESL 401 with a grade of “B-” or better
• Minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

Students should contact the Linguistics Director when ready to declare the major.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.

To declare a major in linguistics, students must have completed the introductory course (LING 201 or ENG 370 or TESL 401) with a grade of B- or better and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.5.