Linguistics is the study of how human language is structured, acquired and used, how it changes over time, and how words and constructions mean what they do in human interaction. The program offers courses in a wide variety of the sub-fields of linguistics: the nature of meaning, sounds and patterns of sounds, the structure of words and sentences, anatomical foundations of language, historical linguistics, the role of language in society, signed language, and the relationship between language and gender.
The Linguistics program and its faculty offers students a range of theoretical perspectives and practices, including generative, cognitive, functional, and typological approaches to language. The program specializes in both spoken and signed language linguistics, with a particular focus on local, primarily indigenous languages. The department also houses the ASL/English Interpretation Program, a joint program with Red River College.
