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What is the field of languages all about?

by StudyMalaysia.com on June 16, 2019 | Top Stories, Career Guide

What is the field of languages all about? - StudyMalaysia.com

Do you know what they call a person who knows many languages? A polyglot! But wait, you don’t need to be a polyglot to study language and linguistics. If you love to study language—its structure, use, history, culture and more—a degree in language could be a rewarding challenge.

The language field of study is about the structure and use of languages, and the literature of particular times and geographic areas This field of study develops an understanding of the nature, structure, sound and form of language, the development and changes in literary styles, and languages and literature in their social and cultural contexts. It also involves developing abilities in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in a foreign language and in critically analysing literary works and form in their social and cultural contexts.


What you will study

In the field of languages, you will study courses which will develop your understanding of past and present cultures relating to the country or regions in which the language of study is spoken. It often involves the study of literary texts, film and media, as well as learning about the historical and political contexts of a certain region. You will likely have the opportunity to study for a time in that country.

If you choose to major in linguistics, you will deal with matters like the unconscious knowledge that humans have about language, how children acquire language, the structure of language, how languages vary, and how language influences the way in which we interact with each other and think about the world.

Some of the courses you might take in a language programme include:

  • How Language Works
  • Language, Learning & Teaching
  • Language, Society & Mind
  • Researching Language and Professional Practice
  • Foundations of Linguistics
  • Structure of Language
  • Meaning and Discourse
  • Ethics and Society
  • World Literature
  • Semantics and Pragmatics
  • Phonetics
  • First Language Acquisition
  • Morphology
  • Syntax
  • Language Typology
  • Speech and Language Disorders
  • Speech-language Pathology
  • Linguistics and Grammar
  • Language, Philosophy, Mind
  • Creative Writing
  • Approaches to Analysing Discourse
  • Language, Culture and Ideology
  • Language of Gender and Sexuality
  • World Englishes

Is this course for me?

Are you skilled in analytical reasoning, critical thinking and argumentation? Are you good at expressing yourself clearly and at making insightful observations? Do you like studying about a language or languages, and its history, people and culture? Are you curious about how human acquire and develop speech and language? If you find these fascinating, you might just enjoy studying language and linguistics.


Courses in languages

General course listing:

Career prospects

Job prospects for students of language programmes are varied. You can work for corporate or charitable organisations, media companies, museums and libraries, public administration, teaching, tourism, and others.

  • Academicians
  • Airline Services Managers
  • Archivists
  • Broadcast Journalists
  • Court Interpreters
  • Curriculum Developers
  • Customer Service Interpreters
  • Diplomat Services
  • Operational Manager
  • Document Examiners
  • Editors
  • Elementary School Teachers
  • English Language and Literature Teachers
  • ESL Teachers
  • Event Management Managers
  • Foreign Language Teachers
  • Foreign Service Officers
  • High School Teachers
  • Healthcare Services Executives
  • Import/ Export Specialists
  • Information Architects
  • International Legal Administrators
  • International Advertising Agents/li>
  • Interpreters and Translators
  • Journalists
  • Lecturers
  • Librarians
  • Language Teachers
  • Linguistics Specialists
  • Logistics and Distribution Managers
  • Marketing Technical Communicators
  • Marketing/ Sales Executives
  • Middle School Teachers
  • Patent Examiner
  • Product Planners
  • Public Affairs Managers
  • Public Relations Managers
  • Publishers
  • Radio/ TV Announcers/ Voice-Overs
  • Software Documentation Writers
  • Teachers (primary, secondary, postsecondary, tertiary, vocational, adult education)
  • Teacher Assistants
  • Technical Writers
  • Trainers and Instructors
  • Travel Agents
  • TV Subtitles Writers
  • Tutors
  • Website Editors/ Writers
  • Workplace Technical Communicators
  • Writers

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