What is Linguistics?
When you study Linguistics at any level, you gain insight into one of the most fundamental parts of being human- the ability to communicate through language. You can study every aspect of language from functional theory to language acquisition, and computational linguistics to psycholinguistics. Studying linguistics enables you to understand how language works, and how it is used, developed and preserved over time.
A minor or major in Linguistics can prepare you for a career in a variety of different fields, including but not limited to: teaching, publishing, national security, international affairs, policy, forensics, medicine and technology.
Our Mission
The Linguistics Program at West Chester University is an interdisciplinary program that strives to create a learning environment for students wishing to gain insight into the properties and function of human language as a basic element of human behavior. Through a variety of courses and venues, the our Program prepares students to describe, analyze and research the various manifestations of language. These include, but are not limited to, speech production, phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language history, dialectology, sociolinguistics, the sociology of language, communication-related aspects, first- and second-language learning, computational linguistics, and the philosophy of language. Students in our program learn to apply the central concepts of linguistic theory to data in a variety of languages, and to make meaningful connections between linguistics and their own lives and careers. Faculty in our Program work to ensure that our students develop an appreciation for languages both as structured communication systems and as critical components of the world’s cultural diversity. The Linguistics Program at West Chester University is a critical part of the university’s commitment to the study and appreciation of human culture in all of their manifestations.
Contributing Departments
Steering Committee
- Eirini Panagiotidou (English)
- Josh Raclaw (English)
- María José Cabrera (Languages and Cultures)
- Patricia Swasey-Washington (Communication Sciences and Disorders)
- Stephen DiDomenico (Communication and Media)
- Israel Sanz-Sánchez (Languages and Cultures, Program director)
