专业描述

Linguistics, the systematic scientific study of human language and communication, is a broad field that investigates a range of questions regarding the remarkable fact that humans produce and use language. At Emory University we take an interdisciplinary approach, looking at language in relation to cognition, culture, social identity, history, philosophy, and aesthetics. Our questions include: What enables humans to produce and understand sentences that they have never heard before? What are the basic building blocks of human languages? How do children learn language? How do people use language in multilingual contexts? How are patterns of thinking shaped by language? Why do languages change over time? How do meanings get attached to words? The Program in Linguistics faculty are based in numerous departments across the college, representing the contemporary field of linguistics, as it is situated at the intersection of the social sciences and the humanities. The program directs a minor in linguistics, a major in linguistics, and a joint major in psychology and linguistics and coordinates a Linguistics Study Abroad Program in Amsterdam. The program facilitates academic discussion on language and linguistics on campus and sponsors events connected to linguistics. The program also sponsors an annual Linguistics Student Research Symposium. Students are encouraged to check the program webpage at www.linguistics.emory.edu for updates on programs of study (majors and minor), courses, and events.