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Linguist

Linguists study the origin, structure, development and use of human language.

Tasks & duties

Linguists study language including:

the way it is used and the similarities and differences between languages
the nature, origin and development of words and the sounds used in speech
its grammatical structure
the way language differs between regions and social settings
the way languages change over time and how and why they change
how language is represented in the human brain
how children acquire languages
modern, ancient or little-known languages
the structure and use of sign languages
how computers process or analyse written or spoken language (computational linguistics)

They may also:

conduct interviews
teach students
contribute to the preservation or maintenance of minority and endangered languages
write reports based on language and speech research
raise awareness around the use of language in indigenous communities
contribute to language policy development

Skills & knowledge

Linguists need to have:

knowledge of the language of different regions, classes and cultures
knowledge of speech sounds, grammar and vocabulary
good research skills
the ability to analyse and evaluate speech and language patterns
good written and oral communication skills

Entry requirements

To become a linguist you need a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Linguistics, preferably with Honours. To teach linguistics at university a Masters or Doctorate degree in linguistics is required.