Linguistics

What is Linguistics?

Linguistics is the study of human language. It provides tools for understanding how we acquire and produce distinctive sounds, words, phrases and sentences. It also helps us understand how people in different cultures use language to interact and express meaning. At UAF you can learn about the variety of human languages in the world and you can focus on a particular language, either from the Foreign Languages offerings or from the Alaska Native Language program. If you are interested in a career of language teaching or speech pathology, a B.A. in Linguistics is good preparation.

Applied Linguistics at UAF

Applied linguistics at UAF is defined broadly to include traditional applied areas related to second language acquisition as well as applied language documentation and revitalization. Graduate students interested in second language acquistion have the opportunity to complete a mentored internship. Students interested in language documentation and revitalization may complete a three-course sequence in documentary linguistics (LING 627-631-634) and have the opportunity to work closely with Alaska Native Language Center faculty on Alaska language projects.

Languages Taught at UAF

• Asian: Chinese, Japanese
• Alaskan: Yup'ik, Inupiaq, Gwich'in (and others by independent study)
• European: French, German, Latin, Russian, Spanish