NC State recently expanded the linguistics program to include a concentration for English majors, where it previously only offered a minor.

Linguistics focuses on how language is spoken and how it changes over time and between different areas. Jeffrey Reaser, professor of linguistics, said students will be exposed to different ways of thinking by studying linguistics. 

“Because language is a social thing, you also learn a lot about sociology and about human psychology,” Reaser said. “It is an interesting way of bringing in a lot of theories and disciplines with this focus of language.”

What separates linguistics from other English concentrations is its focus on the oral aspect of language, which provides a scientific perspective for a field often connected with the liberal arts. Concepts that students can learn from this major include phonetics, which is the study of how speech sounds, how people speak, how people develop speech, and what parts of the brain are responsible for language and syntax, which is how sentences are structured.

Reaser describes how having a degree in linguistics helps students in the job market. He said that students will already be familiar with quantitative and qualitative research methods, which attracts companies seeking those skills. Reaser also said that graduate students who studied linguistics found jobs in data analysis, market analysis and natural language processing. 

According to Reaser, linguistics is a 120-hour major that requires 18 hours of English core credits.

“In addition to that, students take our [ENG 210] Introduction to [Language] and Linguistics class [and] two out of three of what we consider of our core linguistics areas that we offer — phonetics, syntax, history of the English language — and additional linguistics electives,” said Reaser. 

Jason Swarts, director of undergraduate studies, said students also have to take six hours of the linguistic core and six hours of linguistic elective courses. In addition, linguistics students have to complete a capstone experience through ENG 494, a special topics course in linguistics that changes its content each semester.

Swartz said they created the linguistics concentration after looking over alumni and graduation data and testimonial information from those in the linguistic minor. Reaser added that there was enough interest in a linguistics major that supported its creation. He said some students who graduated wanted their degree to say they studied linguistics because they thought language, writing and rhetoric was too vague to describe what they studied.

Another reason linguistics was created was to fill a position after a professor in communication retired. This professor taught a series of courses that focused on communication disorders and understanding how speech is produced. The purpose of these courses was to understand various communication disorders from a physiological standpoint. 

“When he retired, we inherited those courses,” Swartz said. “They [professors] want to be able to teach them … But there are so many sociolinguistics courses they don’t have enough time to teach them. If they had their own majors, then the majors can allow them to teach more of the courses that are on their books, and give the students a more specialized linguistics education.” 

Reaser said that students with a concentration in language, writing and rhetoric cannot minor in linguistics; however, Swartz said this may not be the case in the future.

For students interested in majoring or minoring in linguistics, information is available on the Undergraduate Programs in Linguistics website.