In essence, Linguistics tries to answer the twin questions of how all human languages are alike and how individual languages differ from each other. In Oxford linguistics at undergraduate level forms part of two joint schools, Modern Languages and Linguistics (MLL), and Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics (PPL), see Experimental Psychology & PPL.

The first year Linguistics for both MLL and PPL involves a substantial introduction to the whole field of Linguistics, with introductory topics such as the study of sound (phonetics and phonology), language in society (sociolinguistics), and language as it changes (historical linguistics). In the remainder of the course, students have various options alongside core modules. The available options to both MLL and PPL students include study of the areas in the introductory course in greater detail and some more specialised possibilities, including a linguistic project involving fieldwork.

Univ welcomes applications for MLL (with Russian or Czech) or either of the PPL combinations involving Linguistics. The College has its own organising tutor for Linguistics, and as well as providing tutorials, this tutor works closely together with the Modern Languages, Psychology and Philosophy tutors in College to tailor the course as closely as possible to each individual student’s interests and preferences. Specialist options in recent years have included Old Norse and Romanian. Univ library is well provided with the books commonly needed by linguistics students, and the College has various schemes to which student may apply for funds to support undertaking fieldwork.

Students interested in a course involving Linguistics at Univ should also see our course page for Experimental Psychology & PPL and information on Modern Languages above. There are also options involving linguistics within other courses such as English, Classics, and Modern Languages.

There is a wealth of information about structure of courses involving Linguistics, possible option choices, and admissions criteria on the University of Oxford’s main website. For Modern Language and Linguistics see here. For Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics see here.

Any undergraduate degree at Oxford provides you with a wide variety of transferable skills and therefore Univ’s students progress to a diverse range of careers. For some, their undergraduate degree leads to academic research, industrial research or teaching. For many, their future career, for instance in business, government or the charitable sector, is defined less by the subject they studied and more by the skills they acquired. Oxford’s Careers Service provides destination statistics for graduates.

Linguistics is not a school subject, although school courses such as the A level in English language include topics in linguistics. It’s therefore not necessary to have any formal background in linguistics in order to be offered a place. However, it is obviously advisable for potential applicants to find out about what the study of Linguistics involves.

Resources

If you are considering applying for a course involving Linguistics, here are some resources you might find useful to explore beyond the school curriculum:

Many UK schools participate in the UK Linguistics Olympiad (see uklo.org) and there are equivalents in many countries worldwide.

There are lots of very accessible books about language; starting points might include:

• Marina Yaguello, Language Through the Looking Glass – see amazon.co.uk or blackwells.co.uk
• David Crystal, How Language Works –  see amazon.co.uk or blackwells.co.uk
• Guy Deutscher, The Unfolding of Language –  see amazon.co.uk or blackwells.co.uk
• Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct –  see amazon.co.uk or blackwells.co.uk