Linguistics

Linguistics is the study of language, including the structure of sounds, words, and sentences, how our brains process it, how people learn it, and the roles it plays in our societies. Studying linguistics raises students’ awareness of patterns in the language of their daily lives and can contribute to careers such as language teaching, editing and publishing, speech therapy, advertising, and more. 

The Mississippi State University English Department offers classes in linguistics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These classes can be used toward an undergraduate Minor in Linguistics, a concentration in Linguistics for an undergraduate General Liberal Arts major, a Linguistics emphasis within the English M.A. program, or a TESOL certificate, emphasis, or endorsement.

TESOL is an acronym for "Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages." The Mississippi State program offers instruction in means, methods, and techniques for teaching English to students whose first language is other than English. MSU awards a certificate for the completion of the fifteen hour program, which makes the holder eligible for employment as a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL).