What can I do with a Linguistics degree?

Hi Shrizzle

In a Linguistics degree, you learn about the analysis of language, the way it is structured, how it changes over time and how people learn or acquire languages. The degree helps you to learn good communication, ideation and presentation skills along with thinking critically and analytically.

Some direct career paths after the degree are that of a lexicographer, speech and language therapist, linguistics professor, proofreader or a translator. You can also make a good fit for jobs in marketing, journalism and law.

• Lexicographer: They write, compile and edit dictionaries for native speakers, learners of English, professionals and bilingual speakers. They monitor and record new words and check its accuracy along with doing some editorial tasks.
• Technical writers: They produce content in close collaboration with graphic designers, user experience designers, software developers and testers. The role chiefly involves collecting information, planning content and writing technical documentation to educate consumers about a product or service in the form of manuals, whitepapers, business correspondence, etc.
• Forensic linguists: They perform language analysis on emergency calls, suicide letters, threat communication and social media during legal proceedings in order to help solve crimes. They also involve in dealing with trademark disputes, author identification and language analysis.
• Translator: Working in translation, your typical day will involve liaising with clients, consulting specialist dictionaries and using reference books to find precise translations for industry jargon. You may also get to work in an embassy as a translator/ interpreter.