Branches of Linguistics PDF

Branches of Linguistics Linguistics aims to discover the science of languages, how they originate and evolved and further how our mind perceives them to communicate. For those who love learning new languages, this area of study is specifically of interest as it can help you learn the roots and hist...

Branches of Linguistics Linguistics aims to discover the science of languages, how they originate and evolved and further how our mind perceives them to communicate. For those who love learning new languages, this area of study is specifically of interest as it can help you learn the roots and history of any language thus unravelling the whole world of even the simplest of a language or dialect. Linguistics is a broad area of study and encompasses varied specializations for students to choose from. This blog brings you a detailed list of major branches of linguistics, their key features as well as how you can make a successful career in linguistics. Phonology The sounds in a speech in cognitive terms Psycholinguistics The psychological aspects of Language & Linguistics Sociolinguistics The study of the impact of society on Language & Linguistics Historical Linguistics The study of evolution and origins of Languages Computational Linguistics The study of spoken and written language in computations & programming Applied Linguistics The study of real-life applications of Linguistics Phonetics The study of sounds in a speech in physical terms Syntax The study of formation and structure of sentences Semantics The study of meanings Morphology The study of the formation of words Pragmatics The study of the use of language(s) Comparative Linguistics The study of similar and dissimilar aspects of common-origin languages Stylistics The study and interpretation of style and tones in Languages What is Linguistics? In simple terms, linguistics can be referred to as the scientific study of language. It involves the analysis of the many different aspects such as the meaning, form and context of language. Studying linguistics will make you familiar with the different components that make up a language. These aspects of Linguistics are also divided into the following types of linguistics: Phonology: The sounds in a speech in cognitive terms Phonetics: The study of sounds in a speech in physical terms Syntax: The study of formation and structure of sentences Semantics: The study of meanings Morphology: The study of the formation of words Pragmatics: The study of the use of language(s) Linguists also analyse and study the effects and influences of different factors including the social, historical, political, cultural etc. on language. Branches of Linguistics The field of Linguistics is vast and covers a range of different subfields. Here are the main branches of Linguistics: Psycholinguistics: The psychological aspects of Language & Linguistics Sociolinguistics: The study of the impact of society on Language & Linguistics Applied Linguistics: The study of real-life applications of Linguistics Computational Linguistics: The study of spoken and written language in computations & programming Comparative Linguistics: The study of similar and dissimilar aspects of common-origin languages Historical Linguistics: The study of evolution and origins of Languages Stylistics: The study and interpretation of style and tones in Languages Applied Linguistics Applied Linguistics is a branch of linguistics which is involved in the identification, investigation and providing solutions for real life issues relating to language. It is an interdisciplinary field, drawing knowledge from different academic fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology etc. Sociolinguistics Sociolinguistics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the effect of society or social factors on language. It is involved in the study of the effects and interactions between language and different social factors like ethnicity, social class, gender, cultural norms etc. Computational Linguistics Computational Linguistics is an interdisciplinary branch of linguistics which is concerned with the study and perception of spoken and written language from a computational perspective. It combines concepts from computer science, programming and coding with linguistics to determine how language functions in the context of computing and operating systems. Psycholinguistics Psycholinguistics deals with the psychological aspects of language. This is one of the branches of linguistics that is involved in the study of the different psychological factors that control the processes of acquiring, understanding and use of language by human beings. Comparative Linguistics Comparative Linguistics is one of the sought-after branches of linguistics that is involved in the study of identifying similar and dissimilar properties between different languages of a common origin. It studies the development of languages through a comparative analysis of two or more different languages evolved from a single parent language. Historical Linguistics One of the important branches of linguistics, historical linguistics studies the evolution and changes in languages through periods of time. It analyses how and in what ways language changes over time, and also involves the reconstruction of past forms of languages. Stylistics Another key mention amongst the various branches of Linguistics, Stylistics deals with the study and interpretation of style and tones in both written and spoken language. It involves the analysis of different features of style, including but not limited to the use of symbolism, dialogues, regional accents, rhyme, sentence structure etc. Top Universities for Linguistics Now that you are aware of the different branches of Linguistics that you can specialise in, let’s take a look at some of the universities around the world which are famous for linguistics studies. Here are the top universities around the world for linguistics according to the QS World University Rankings 2020: University Country Rank Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States 1 University of Massachusetts Amherst United States 2 The University of Edinburgh United Kingdom 3 University of Cambridge United Kingdom 4 Harvard University United States 5 University of Oxford United Kingdom 6 University of California, Berkeley (UCB) United States 7 Stanford University United States 8 University of Maryland, College Park United States 9 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) United States 10 Career Options for Linguistics Getting a degree in linguistics opens up a number of career pathways for you. The skills attained while pursuing a linguistics degree enable you to take up jobs in a variety of sectors such as education, language services, publishing etc. Some of the popular job positions for a degree in linguistics that you can choose from include: Speech Therapist Lexicographer Language Translator Research Associate Interpreter Translator Copy Editor Writer Audiologist Language Teacher Proofreader Professor Copywriter Accent Coach Public Librarian Teaching Assistant  Social Researcher Scope and Branches of Linguistics Linguistics is a vast and ever-evolving field of study as languages form an important part of human communication. The most popular subfields of linguistics where there is an advanced scope are: Phonology Phonetics Semantics Historical Linguistics Computational Linguistics Syntax Pragmatics Psycholinguistics Sociolinguistics From sociology, computer science, language to history, psychology and real-life applications, Linguistics is filled with extensive scope to explore varied careers in. Here are the key employment areas to build a successful career in Linguistics: Lexicography Teaching Linguistics Research Social Psychology Sociology Speech and Language Therapy Editing, Proofreading & Translations Computer Science and Programming Anthropology Historical Research