Linguistics vs. English Major

College Majors
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<p>Soo. I'm waiting for RD letters to come and thinking about majors.</p>

<p>I know for sure I'm going to Major in Neuroscience.</p>

<p>I'm also really interested in Linguistics. But... from the research I've done, a lot of it seems to have a compsci/math component, and while math is cool and all... I really don't want to have two science-based majors. Are any of you Linguistics majors or do any of you have information about this major and what sort of collegework it entails, what are the cool things you learn, does it feel like something useful... stuff like that.</p>

<p>I've always loved to write, and so I was thinking of something else with my love of language (which is why I chose Linguistics) and thought of English. I guess same types of questions as above; how the courses are, is it mostly reading or mostly writing, can you specialize in a time period or style of writing?</p>

<p>I am sure I'll pursue a second major, or at the very least a minor... and I'm also interested in public speaking, politics, american history, lots of sciency stuff but I'd rather not go that route.</p>

<p>Any ideas/comments/suggestions?</p>

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<p>English, like any humanities, requires both alot of reading -and- alot of writing. Alot of analysis. I don't think I've come across a program with designated concentrations, but you can -certainly- choose your electives based on your personal preferences. English departments tend to be huge, so you'll find alot of course offerings.</p>

<p>And on linguistics...it really is about the science of language rather than the art of language. If you don't want two science majors, I'd go with literature.</p>

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<p>Oh. sweet.</p>

<p>Leaning towards English then... sigh I put freakign Linguistics as a second major on my college apps.</p>

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<p>It depends on the university. Some English programs are more geared toward literature, etc., others more toward composition (but of course with mostly literature components).</p>

<p>The ling major is not all about math at all -- computational linguistics, which isn't a requirement in many ling programs, is the one associated with math/science. Look at the course listings and requirements for the linguistics major at your prospective college. You'll most likely be taking classes in various aspects of language, like morphology, semantics, phonetics, phonology, syntax, and pragmatics, as well as courses in dialects, philosophy of language, psycholinguistics, and other miscellaneous courses related to linguistics (not to mention language-specific classes, like Korean, etc., if you so choose). It all depends on which you'd like to take (for me, comp ling isn't too enjoyable), plus what the university requires. The core courses at Stanford, for example, are:</p>

<pre><code>* 110. Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology
* 120. Introduction to Syntax
* 130A. Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (note: 120 is a prerequisite for this course) OR 130B. Introduction to Lexical Meaning
* 150. Language in Society (WIM course)
* 160. Introduction to Language Change
(or, in consultation with their adviser, a course in Historical Linguistics or the History of a language)
</code></pre>

<p>Linguistics is a science in that it dissects and studies language, not in that it requires complicated math. To many, linguistics is an easy major, and one person I knew even went as far as to say it's a "weak major" (to which I took offense :P). If you truly do love language--as I and many others do--then English wouldn't quite sate you. After all, I'm sure you're advanced in English, and what'd you be studying is lit with a composition supplement. Why take English even further? For me, tasting other languages--and indeed studying, comparing, and even becoming fluent in them--is more satisfying than advancing my already-advanced English skills and knowledge.</p>

<p>I disagree that linguistics isn't so much about the art of language. Sure, ling majors view language as a science, but we also truly appreciate language in all its beauty -- and thus learning about a morphosyntactic change in a cross-sociolinguistic context is both intriguing and enriching. Linguistics is both an art and a science.</p>

<p>Stanford offers:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Linguistics concerns itself with the fundamental questions of what language is and how it is related to the other human faculties. In answering these questions, linguists consider language as a cultural, social, and psychological phenomenon and seek to determine what is unique in languages, what is universal, how language is acquired, and how it changes. Linguistics is, therefore, one of the cognitive sciences; it provides a link between the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education and hearing and speech sciences.

[/quote]
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<p>I was in a similar place as you. For the longest, I'd planned on majoring in psychology and English, and ended up deciding that linguistics was better than English.</p>

<p>Anyway, do your research on the programs -- it's really up to you. =)</p>

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<p>Wow...</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

<p>SO MUCH</p>

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<p>You're welcome. =) Also, to add this quote, which I rather like, of Russ Rymer:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Linguistics is arguably the most hotly contested property in the academic realm. It is soaked with the blood of poets, theologians, philosophers, philologists, psychologists, biologists, anthropologists, and neurologists, along with whatever blood can be got out of grammarians.

[/quote]
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<p>Which major are you leaning more toward now? :)</p>