Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Linguistics, BA


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Department of Linguistics, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

62 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 Chair
Kristin Denham
Humanities 357
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

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 or ANTH 247 or HNRS 217 with a grade of “B-” or better

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 or ANTH 247 or HNRS 217) with a grade of B- or better.

Requirements


Concentration


Additional credit concentration with at least one additional upper division course either in related department under advisement. The following are possible area concentrations; others are possible under advisement, as are additional upper division LING courses in lieu of a concentration.

Anthropology Concentration


Communication Sciences and Disorders Concentration


Computer Science Concentration


       ❑ Applicable courses in computational linguistics under departmental advisement
       ❑ Additional work under advisement

Educational Linguistics Concentration


       ❑ Applicable courses in educational linguistics under departmental advisement
       ❑ Additional work under advisement

English Concentration


Modern and Classical Languages Concentration options


Prerequisites: at least two years of study of one of the languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish). Additional upper division linguistics coursework with the language; specific requirements vary by language. Consult an advisor.

World Language Instruction

Neuroscience Concentration


       ❑ Applicable courses in neuroscience under departmental advisement
       ❑ Additional work under advisement

Philosophy Concentration


Psychology Concentration


TESOL Concentration


       ❑ Selected courses in TESOL under advisement

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Concentration


      ❑ Applicable courses in WGSS and linguistics under departmental advisement.

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