What to Expect
Linguistics students study something we use every day -- language. From
word origins to speech sounds, they learn all about how we communicate.
Chai Miller has always loved linguistics.
Unlike most linguistics students, she was hooked on linguistics while in
high school. While most students discover the program only after taking an
elective in first-year university, Miller discovered her passion for linguistics
early.
"I took Spanish and Latin in high school and continued Spanish when I
arrived at [university]. A lot of my educational background I would actually
attribute to not only an amazing high school, but also amazing teachers all
along the way. Foreign language and culture has always been my biggest passion
in life, so now I want to funnel that energy into helping internationals coming
into North America adjust to the culture."
She knows she made the right choice. "I absolutely love the work that I
am given and the atmosphere that the students and professors bring to the
classes. I like meticulous, analytical work -- so classes like phonology or
morphology are definitely my favourites. As far as atmosphere goes, linguists
are generally curious, friendly people -- it's just a lot of fun."
John Pate also studied linguistics. He completed both his bachelor's and
master's degrees at the University of Ohio and has had exciting opportunities
to connect with several different faculties and programs. Now he's studying
computational models of language acquisition at the School of Informatics
at the University of Edinburgh.
"I took a research assistantship in a language development lab that was
technically in the psychology department. I also have had a lot of interaction
with students and faculty from the computer science and engineering departments.
I feel that this provided me with a much fuller understanding of the different
ways that people try to understand language."