Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It addresses questions relating to the structure of language, how and why languages differ and change, how humans acquire and process language, the relationship between language and society, and the systems of speech sounds that underlie the words and utterances that we speak and hear. For example, studying linguistics can help us to understand how children can easily learn to speak both English and Māori, why New Zealanders sound different from Australians, why the words ‘air’ and ‘ear’ rhyme for some people but not for others, and why ‘sweet as’ isn’t just ‘slang’. Given the unique nature of language, Linguistics is an inherently interdisciplinary field that bridges the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. It has links with, among other fields, Anthropology, cognitive science, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, evolutionary biology, language study, neurology, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology. It is therefore an ideal complementary field of study.

Linguistics provides the foundation for a wide range of jobs and careers including teaching, education, translation/interpreting, marketing, publishing, journalism, law, medicine, information technology, speech and language therapy, social research and international relations. In fact, studying Linguistics will help prepare you for any profession that requires skills in analytical thinking, problem solving, argumentation, critical thinking, data collection and analysis, and written and oral expression. Naturally, you will also become familiar with many different languages and cultures, and as a result, develop important cross-cultural skills. Linguistics is often a training ground for those who end up teaching English as a second language, which is a popular career and offers excellent travel opportunities.