Linguistics Program
The is an origin myth that attempts to explain the existence of different languages.
Why study Linguistics?
Linguistics is the scientific study of human languages. It deals with questions related to language acquisition, language processing and language variation in society. It is an interdisciplinary field that closely interacts with philosophy, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience and psychology. It also has multiple applications in teaching, legal services, language therapy and computer technology.
Linguistics develops analytical and argumentation skills that are highly requested in professional fields beyond the proper study of languages and language-related work (e.g., translating, writing and editing). A degree in linguistics sets a solid foundation for a career in education, law, speech rehabilitation and computing. A postgraduate program in education, a speech-language pathology program, a law school, a master’s degree in (applied) linguistics or cognitive sciences and a master’s degree in data science and computational linguistics are some examples of what our graduates usually choose to build onto their degree in linguistics.
The Saint Mary’s approach
Hands-on learning
Our students benefit from close interaction with faculty members and other students. Whenever possible, we engage students in joint projects and are open to supervising them in their projects. Linguistics students also have an opportunity to participate in exchanges for academic credit in France, Germany and Japan.
Sample courses offered:
- Introduction to Linguistics: Natural languages are systematic, and this course will examine how this fact makes human communication possible. An introduction to modern methods of linguistic analysis, the course will enable students to understand the structure of their own language and to compare it with other languages. By familiarizing them with the basic concepts of linguistics, the course will prepare students for more advanced courses in linguistics.
- Linguistics and Literature: Language is the raw material of literature, and linguistics is the science of language. Students use linguistic tools to analyze how formal properties of literary texts contribute to their aesthetic effects, and explore linguistic concepts by applying them in their own literary scholarship and creative writing. Perspectives covered include structuralist, functionalist, and generative linguistic theories.
- Phonetics: This course is an introduction to the production, acoustic properties, and perception of the sounds used in English and other languages. Skills developed include: systematic transcription of speech sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet, description of sounds in articulatory terms, and recognition of linguistically relevant properties of sounds from spectrograms and waveforms.
- Semantics: Meaning in Language: This course is an examination of how words and sentences encode meaning in natural language. Students will learn how the meanings of individual words combine to create sentence meanings, and how these meanings can be represented formally using the tools of first-order logic (predicates, quantifiers, and logical operators). The course also explores how non-literal meaning works in idioms, metaphors, and implicatures.
Future career opportunities:
- Educator
- Speech-language pathologist
- Audiologist
- Computational linguist
- Neuroscientist
- Lawer
- Forensic analyst
- Policy analyst
- Communication specialist
What our students are saying
“Saint Mary’s was the perfect place to study linguistics. The small class sizes facilitated a natural sense of camaraderie with classmates and rapport with professors, who are truly exceptional. Through SMU linguistics, I built a confident understanding of both foundational and cutting-edge research in core and specialized fields, which helped me get accepted into graduate programs at schools like Edinburgh and UBC.” – Jonathan Keigan (Master’s program in Data Science and Computational Linguistics, UBC)
“The Linguistics Program at SMU was an amazing experience that shaped my academic and personal journey. This program opened my eyes to new ways of understanding the world and its languages which not only deepened my passion for language but also equipped me with skills that give me a unique advantage in Law School.” – Merren Zhan (Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University)
“My time at SMU’s Linguistics program was incredibly rewarding. I also appreciated the collaborative atmosphere among the students. We fostered a strong sense of community, supporting each other’s academic growth and building lifelong friendships. This journey laid a solid foundation for my Master’s in Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh.” – Minxuan He (MA in Linguistics, University of Edinburgh)
“My journey through the Linguistics Program at SMU significantly enriched my understanding of language and laid a strong foundation for my academic career in linguistics. The program's focus on academic writing and original research projects equipped me exceptionally well for graduate-level work. My honours thesis experience, guided by supportive faculty, gave me a distinct advantage in my graduate studies.” – Chau Tran (MA program in Linguistics, McGill University)