The scientific study of language, linguistics, has long been recognized as important within education, and ongoing work continues to investigate how linguistics can be most productively applied in education to best reflect current research on language structure, language variation, language change, language acquistion, and language as a social tool. An understanding of how language works, of the ways in which language and culture are intertwined, and of the ways language is and has been used to discriminate, to transform, and to empower are critical components for educators.
Why Consider a Linguistics and Education Minor?
Students who minor in Linguistics and Education will significantly advance their understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity, of the powers of language to discriminate and to empower, and of the ways in which these fields of Linguistics and Education inform each other. The set of courses in this minor are not just for future K-12 teachers but for all "educators", broadly defined. Such study is critical not just for teachers of and about language, but for educators of all subject areas. More broadly, however, this set of courses provides all students with insights into ways in which the education system shapes social perceptions of languages and of language users, ways that affect language policy.