What are the pros and cons of doing Ph.D. in linguistics ?
Hello Aspirant,
There won't be any serious disadvantage in getting a degree in the subject you like as long as you are well aware of your future plan with it. Linguistics is a specialization in the technical part of the language you choose. If you have specific interest in teaching or becoming a language expert or trainer , then you may get a PhD. Of course the coursework will be hard because it is PhD , so if you do not have that deep interest , it may become exhausting. Now if you are not aware of the job market in this area and has not yet planned about what to do after the PhD, then I suggest you to research about it first. Good job opportunities are there but can't say it is very bright. If you are planning to go abroad to take up any sort of career in linguistics then it may be more rewarding than India. Computational Linguists ,Speech and language therapy ,lexicographer,accent coach,language expert/ teacher, copy editor, proofreader or a role in communications field are some areas of work apart from lectureship. But you should be prepared for uncertainty if you are not interested in core teaching , you may not flourish soon unless you are extremely skilled. It all depends on how much interest you have in this area, how much hard work you are ready to put in and what your ultimate career goals are, think about whether putting in so much effort for a PhD course necessary to meet your career expectations . Research more and take an informed decision.
All the best