Linguistics
Welcome to the Department of Linguistics
Language is all around us, it permeates our lives and is the medium through which we interact with our family, friends, colleagues, and fellow citizens. But how does language work? How do we learn it and how can we understand it? Are all languages the same, or do they vary over people, places, and time? In the Department of Linguistics, we train students to answer these questions, whether through observation of human participants, laboratory experimentation, or fieldwork with Indigenous communities from Alberta to the Amazon. Check out our research labs and get involved in our quest to understand one of the essential things that makes us human.
Academic Programs
Undergraduate Program
Our undergraduate students learn about how humans communicate and how language influences behaviour and impacts society. A BA in Linguistics provides a strong foundation for careers in speech language pathology, education, audiology, psychology, and other language-related professions. Students can also get involved in our many ongoing research projects.
Graduate Program
The MSc and PhD programs offer students the opportunity to combine experimentation and hands-on data collection with theoretical inquiry. Students receive practical training in the collection, analysis, and publication of data based on cutting-edge, original research.
Certificates
The Undergraduate Certificate in Language Documentation and Revitalization (ClaDR) trains students in current best practices, with a focus on the Indigenous languages of the Americas.
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7000+
The number of languages spoken in the world today (Source: Ethnologue)
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Over 50%
Of people in the world use two or more languages in their daily lives (Source: Francois Grosjean)
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Four
The number of times that writing has been invented independently (Source: Marco Condorelli)
News + Events
Procedural discourse in Sáliba: Two case studies
Dr. Jorge Rosés Labrada, Linguistics, 海角社区
Friday, March 14, 2025, 3:00 p,m, MDT in SAB 3-36 or online
Giving
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