What is Linguistics?

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. There are broadly three aspects
to the study, which include language form, language meaning, and language in co
ntext. The earliest known activities in the description of language have been at
tributed to P??ini around 500 BCE, with his analysis of Sanskrit in Ashtadhyayi.
The part of linguistics that is concerned with the structure of language is divi
ded into a number of subfields:
Phonetics - the study of speech sounds in their physical aspects
Phonology - the study of speech sounds in their cognitive aspects
Morphology - the study of the formation of words
Syntax - the study of the formation of sentences
Semantics the study of meaning
Pragmatics - the study of language use
Aside from language structure, other perspectives on language are represented in
specialized or interdisciplinary branches:
Historical Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
Psycholinguistics
Ethnolinguistics (or Anthropological Linguistics)
Dialectology
Computational Linguistics
Psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics
Because language is such a central feature of being a human, Linguistics has int
ellectual connections and overlaps with many other disciplines in the humanities
, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Some of the closest connections
are with Philosophy, Literature, Language Pedagogy, Psychology, Sociology, Phys
ics (acoustics), Biology (anatomy, neuroscience), Computer Science, Computer Eng
ineering, Health Sciences (Aphasia, Speech Therapy).
The main purpose of the study of Linguistics in an academic environment is the a
dvancement of knowledge. However, because of the centrality of language in human
interaction and behavior, the knowledge gained through the study of linguistics
has many practical consequences and uses. Graduates of undergraduate and gradua
te programs in Linguistics apply their training in many diverse areas, including
language pedagogy, speech pathology, speech synthesis, natural language interfa
ces, search engines, machine translation, forensics, naming, and of course all f
orms of writing, editing, and publishing. Perhaps the most widely appreciated ap
plication was contributed by UCSC Linguistics alumnus Marc Okrand, who invented
the Klingon language for Star Trek.
What is Applied Linguistics?
Applied Linguistics is concerned with the systematic study of language structure
, the acquisition of first and subsequent languages, the role of language in com
munication, and the status of language as the product of particular cultures and
other social groups.
A background in linguistics is essential for language teachers, translators, spe
ech-language pathologists, audiologists, and many other language professionals.
Applied Linguistics:
Examines the structure of language and its role in communication
Explores how children acquire language
Studies how the skills of second-language speakers develop
Investigates how the social or cultural environment interacts with language.