Linguistics with Chinese or Japanese

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, examining its structures, functions, variation and acquisition through formal analysis and empirical investigation. It encompasses phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, as well as the social dimensions of language use and the cognitive mechanisms through which language is processed and learned. Combining linguistics with Chinese or Japanese at Newcastle brings these analytical tools to bear on two of the world's most distinctive and widely spoken languages, each with its own structural properties that challenge and enrich the theoretical frameworks linguistics applies.

At the University of Newcastle you will study linguistic theory and analysis alongside your chosen language, developing proficiency in Chinese or Japanese while also engaging with the scientific study of how these languages work. Chinese and Japanese both present features, including tonal phonology, non-alphabetic writing systems and distinctive grammatical structures, that are particularly illuminating for general linguistic inquiry. You will study the syntax, phonology and semantics of your chosen language alongside its cultural and historical context, and you will engage with broader questions in the linguistics of Asian languages, typological diversity and language acquisition.

The four-year programme gives you the time to develop genuine linguistic proficiency alongside serious academic engagement with the theoretical discipline.

Graduates with both linguistic training and proficiency in Chinese or Japanese are well placed for careers in a wide range of fields. Employers in international business, translation and interpreting, language technology, education, cultural organisations, the civil service and government agencies all value this combination of analytical and linguistic skills. The technology sector, where natural language processing and machine translation demand people who understand both how language works and how computational systems can process it, is a particularly significant employer.

Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, East Asian studies or language technology.