Linguistics

Discover a field as rich and varied as the languages spoken around the globe. There are several ways linguistics at F&M can add richness and depth to your academic path. You can earn a certificate in linguistics, take linguistics courses to enrich your chosen major or minor, or you can design your own major by combining linguistics with two other disciplines. This offers you a distinctive opportunity to craft a major that is customized to your learning goals. Examples include:

• Linguistics, Psychology, and Philosophy 
• Linguistics, Spanish, and Anthropology 
• Linguistics, Japanese, and Psychology

Studying linguistics is an important first step in understanding the world around us. Why are words so powerful? Where does meaning come from? Why does pronunciation change from place to place? As a field of study that touches on many others, you will explore philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and much more in your journey to better understand the power of language. By diving into linguistics and exploring its connections to other disciplines, you will fine tune your experience and learn about language as more than just how we talk to each other, but as a complex tool for communication that involves spoken word, written script, and movements of the body. 

By the time you graduate, you will have: 

• An understanding of language in the mind and how it relates to other cognitive skills and abilities
• A comprehensive understanding of how language and culture are connected and influenced by one another.
• The skill to explain language trends and experiences in everyday life.
• The knowledge to understand and identify the deep social and political importance that weaves through language and communication.
• The confidence to communicate complex linguistic concepts to others.
• All the skills needed to collaborate effectively with others and bridge gaps of understanding between disciplines.

Wondering what linguistics courses are like? Take a look at our course catalog to explore what classes you can expect to sample.

Kimberly Armstrong
Professor of Spanish & Linguistics

Jessica G. Cox
Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics, Department Chair of Spanish

As you will learn, the experience of language changes according to where you are and to whom  you’re speaking. That’s why it’s important to expand your linguistics journey to outside the classroom and into other areas where language is used. 

Summer Fieldwork & Independent Study

Some of our faculty work with undergraduate research assistants during the academic year and research scholars in the summer. Through our connections with other departments, you are also able to engage in independent study and fieldwork related to your interests in linguistics. From studying the effects of brain injury on language use to exploring if bilingualism enhances a person’s perspective-taking abilities, linguistics students have the full range of F&M’s faculty and expertise at their disposal. Furthermore, thanks to a generous donor fund, many F&M students are able to obtain financial assistance in order to attend these programs as well.
Explore research at F&M

Off-Campus Study

With countless languages and cultures spanning the world, off-campus study is strongly encouraged. F&M students have studied abroad in Italy, Spain, Austria, Australia, England, Ireland, and many more places.
Explore off-campus study at F&M

Linguistics will be an important and relevant part of your post-undergraduate career whether you pursue a related field or not. The writing, analytical, critical thinking, and creative skills you gain by studying linguistics alongside your chosen major and minor at F&M can broaden your post-college opportunities. 

Graduate School

It’s not uncommon for F&M students to study in graduate programs in the U.S. and abroad. Students who have studied linguistics at F&M have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in speech language pathology, second language acquisition, and more.

Career Paths

Including linguistics in their F&M journey have prepared graduates for a wide array of careers. By enhancing their major and minor with an understanding of how language works, graduates are distinctly positioned for roles that require empathy, understanding of differences, and collaboration. They hold positions such as: 

• Professor
• Speech Pathologist
• Business Analyst
• Marketing Analyst
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Teacher
• Neuroscientist
• Computer Engineer
• AI Developer
• SEO Analyst
• Medical Doctor