An inherently interdisciplinary field, linguistics faculty and students collaborate with researchers in departments across university campus. Learn more >
Documenting linguistic diversity in North America
Professor of Linguistics Joyce McDonough has worked with a team of tribal and academic linguists and educators to create the Dene Speech Atlas (DSA). The DSA is an interactive, online speech atlas cataloguing the sound systems of Athabascan (Dene) languages in the Dene speech communities of northern Canada’s Mackenzie Basin.
Nearly 7,000 languages are spoken around the world, yet close to half are expected to become extinct by the end of the 21st century. When a language is lost, so is the culture of the people who spoke it. Linguistics faculty travel the world to study, transcribe, and analyze languages.
The department provides students at all levels rigorous training in skills that are highly viable in our rapidly changing society. They learn how to use analytic and theoretical tools, work in collaborative environments, and collect and organize complex research data. They also gain a deep appreciation and understanding of the value of a culturally and linguistically diverse environment. Upon graduation, students pursue careers in a variety of wide ranging fields, from law to forensics to library science.
