Some areas that our linguists are interested in include:
- how children acquire language in multilingual contexts
- the threat of langauge loss and how languages can be documented and maintained
- language attitude and identity
- the role and the study of emotions in multilinguals
- the cultural and symbolic value of language in everyday life, as well as
- the management of linguistic resources
A background in core Linguistics training will place students in a strong position to develop a guided interest in multilingual and bilingual language development and use. An appreciation of the complexities of multilingualism will inculcate in the students a deeper understanding of themselves as bilinguals and a keener awareness of how to make the best use of the linguistic potentials made available to them in a multilingual community.
A major programme in LMS gives graduates insight into one of the most intriguing aspects of human knowledge and behaviour, and at the same time introduces them to related disciplines. As language is an integral part of all human activities, the study of linguistics provides a conducive platform for interdisciplinary discourse and research. The interdisciplinary nature of LMS ensures that students obtain a solid general education through being exposed to a variety of disciplines such as Sociology, Communication, Computer Science, Education, Hearing and Speech sciences, Law, Literature, Philosophy, and Psychology. A LMS programme in NTU complements courses in related areas and encourages students to think beyond their specific fields.
Students majoring in LMS at NTU may organise their studies around different aspects of the field or concentrations. For example, a student may decide to concentrate on how language is acquired and processed (Language Mind and Multilingualism concentration); how language relates to social and cultural forces (Multilingual Societies and Multiculturalism concentration), language learning and teaching (Applied English Linguistics concentration); how language is used in the ever changing and innovating technological world (Language and Technology concentration); or how language systems are analysed from a variety of theoretical perspectives (General Linguistics concentration). Students can also choose courses from two or more of these concentrations. All of these programs share a common focus on the application of linguistic knowledge to practical issues related to languages in modern society.
The curriculum of the major in Linguistics and Multilingual Studies in NTU is designed to complement the university's strengths in science and technology and Singapore's need for a workforce which is highly globalised and linguistically competent. Several courses (e.g. Language and Computers, Corpus linguistics, Machine Translation, Language and Technology, Forensic linguistics, Language and the Internet) capitalise on student's academic interest in the application of engineering and science to language studies. Other courses provide general training in intercultural communication and analytical training through raising students' awareness of issues relating to the use of languages in bilingual and multilingual societies.
