Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language and, given that language impinges on virtually everything we do, it is a broad and interesting subject. Linguistics at the University of Waikato is a top 250 QS-rated programme and will deepen your appreciation for language, as well as provide essential understandings relevant to any career where language is a key component.
Language is a tool we all use instinctively, without necessarily understanding its precise structure. By studying Linguistics, you'll gain an inner working knowledge of language design and organisation. You'll learn about different sounds, words and clause structures, and how they work in world languages. You'll explore different cultures and societies to see how linguistic behaviour changes by location, as well as in various situations.
Your Linguistics studies will also give you a commanding understanding of the English language which can lead to careers in journalism, free-lance writing or academia.
The QS World University Subject Rankings has recognised the University of Waikato among the worlds top 250 universities for studying Linguistics.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton, Online Papers offered differ by location. The Catalogue of Papers has full location info. |
|---|---|
| Area of Study: |
Study Linguistics in these qualifications
Study Linguistics as a specialisation of
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Sport and Human Performance
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Philosophy
Career opportunities
- Education Researcher
- Journalist
- Language Policy and Planning
- Language School Management
- Lexicography (Dictionary Writing)
- Second Language Teaching
- Speech Therapist
- Writer
Papers
Available Linguistics papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTSC105 | Language in Context | 15.0 | 24A (Online) |
| Language in Context is an essential paper for students of a broad range of disciplines where language and communication are a focus. Students are given the tools to examine how human language reflects our histories, our social selves, and our immediate physical contexts. We observe how language is used to reinvent and to reinforce ... | |||
| ARTSC112 | Music, Sound and Human Communication | 15.0 | 24B (Online) |
| Every day we communicate using complex linguistic and musical systems. This paper will explore the role of sound and music in human communication and the cognitive, social, and cultural processes, which underlie such communication. The paper takes a broad, interdisciplinary look at all aspects of sound and musical communication, fr... | |||
| COMMS101 | Communication Competencies | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to the significance and meaning associated with our everyday communication choices. From traditional face-to-face conversation to digitally mediated interactions, communication is layered with social meaning that both replicates and constitutes our identities. | |||
| ENGLI100 | Telling the Story | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the deep stories which are at the core of the English literary tradition and the wider Western canon, using picturebooks, fairytales, popular film, detective fiction and short stories. | |||
| INTLC101 | International Languages and Cultures | 15.0 | 24B (Online) & 24G (Online) |
| This paper introduces students to major world cultures and their languages in a comparative context. Students will gain a critical understanding of culture and diversity through examining the languages and cultures of China, France, Japan, Korea, Spain and Latin America. | |||
| MEDIA100 | Understanding Visual Culture | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Our lives are dominated by still and moving images and visual technologies. This paper will constitute an important first step in learning to understand how images variously work to convey ideas, their impact and influence on our behaviour, thinking and culture. It draws on a broad theoretical platform from aesthetics, art history,... | |||
| WRITE100 | Writing for Academic Success | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online), 24A (Tauranga), 24B (Hamilton), 24B (Online), 24B (Tauranga), 24JS (Hamilton), 24JS (Online) & 24JS (Tauranga) |
| The paper gives opportunities for undergraduate students to develop their academic literacy skills. It begins with general academic communication and research skills and then embeds academic literacy practice within disciplines of study. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINGS201 | Language Analysis | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides a detailed introduction to phonology and morphology. Students develop analytic skills and discuss theoretical issues related to language analysis. | |||
| LINGS203 | Language, Society and Culture | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| In this paper, we explore cultural diversity through language. We develop understandings of the way that language both reflects, and is used to construct diverse social and cultural identities and practices. We will look at multiple examples of both linguistic and cultural research, as well as learning from our own diverse experien... | |||
| LINGS204 | Language of Social Media | 15.0 | 24G (Online) |
| This paper introduces students to the study of language in the genre of social media, using linguistics theory and concepts. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINGS301 | Research Apprenticeship | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides students with an opportunity to pursue an extended research project, in a sub-discipline of linguistics or anthropology (e.g. sociolinguistics, typology, documentation, anthropology), focusing on a heritage language/culture. | |||
| LINGS302 | Comparative Linguistics | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper concerns the study of linguistic diversity, with an emphasis on the morphosyntactic analysis of lesser-known languages. Current comparative/typological understandings are employed to examine properties and processes in language data. | |||
| LINGS303 | Sociolinguistics | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper teaches major methods and principles of sociolinguistic investigation, including the study of accents and dialects; language variation; relationship between language and education/gender/social class; and language attitudes. | |||
| LINGS304 | Applied Linguistics | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides an introduction to areas of research and professional practice in applied linguistics, including language acquisition, second language teaching, language planning, lexicography, translation, forensic linguistics and speech language therapy. | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINGS800 | Linguistics MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINGS900 | Linguistics PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 24I (Hamilton), 24J (Hamilton), 24K (Hamilton) & 24X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
Linguistics is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc.
Linguistics is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc. Linguistics may also be taken as a second major or as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice, please contact one of our friendly student advisors phone:
Students wishing to take Linguistics as a major or as a supporting subject are strongly encouraged to include a language skills paper in a language other than their first language in their programme of study. Such a paper would not count as a Linguistics paper for the purposes of the degree regulations.
Contacts
School of Arts
Phone: +64 7 838 4932
Email: [email protected]