Why Linguistics? Language is at the heart of human behaviour, human societies and human creativity. Understanding how language works is therefore key to unlocking what it means to be human. In this fascinating subject you will explore fundamental questions such as: Where does language come from and what is it made of? How is language represented in the mind/brain and how is it related to culture and society? How do the world’s languages vary and how does the language you speak shape your experiences? How is language learned and how can it be impaired? How can technology be harnessed to study patterns in the way language is used? Our extensive range of optional modules also gives you the chance to look at how language functions across a broad range of contexts, including business, law, politics, health and literature. You can also explore how language works in non-human systems such as speech technologies and what is required to develop these. Linguistics is not just a fascinating area of study, you will gain a skillset that opens doors to a range of exciting and rewarding careers. Transferable skills include a capacity for critical thinking, an ability to gather, organise and analyse large quantities of data, and an aptitude for developing new and innovative ideas. You’ll have the chance to develop specialist skills including in the lexical and grammatical analysis of real and constructed languages, the acoustic analysis of speech, and computer programming for language technologies. We are one of the largest departments for the study of language in the United Kingdom and one of the most highly rated in the world (3rd in the QS World Rankings, 2025). Studying linguistics at Lancaster means you will be able to: Explore a wealth of language-related topics – You can focus on core areas of linguistic theory like phonetics, phonology, grammar and pragmatics as well as explore new and traditional areas of applied linguistics, including forensic linguistics, computational linguistics, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. Learn from the experts – Our staff are world leaders in their respective fields but they are also all involved in teaching to bring you the latest topics and developments in linguistics. Our staff are famous for their work in corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, stylistics, discourse analysis and speech science. Benefit from our world-leading facilities: As a student at Lancaster, you will gain hands-on experience of research in linguistics through our cutting-edge labs which are furnished with the very latest equipment. These include a phonetics lab, an eye-tracking lab, a perception and learning lab, and an EEG lab. Experience the world: Whether it be through our Schools Volunteering module, our Work Placement schemes or our Study Abroad options, our degree programme offers you the chance to gain valuable experiences which will stay with you for life. A supportive environment: Our friendly staff are here to support you throughout your studies. All students are assigned an academic adviser who is there to get to know you personally and provide guidance on a range of issues.