There are many interesting and diverse career paths that build on studies in linguistics and applied linguistics. Those that study linguistics are well-equipped to tackle the many language-related issues facing modern societies. The fields that linguists fall into range from academia, computer science, allied health, business, government and many more!
Many linguists end up working in academia, which means working doing research in the area of linguistics they’ve specialised in. They usually work for a university, and sometimes their position may involve teaching as well. Check out this interview with an academic linguist here.
Some linguists also work in language revitalisation, which means working with languages that have few or no speakers to try to reverse their decline. This is a particularly important field in Australia, where there are a lot of linguists working in collaboration with Aboriginal communities to revitalise Indigenous languages. Read an interview with a Language Revitalisation Program Director, learn more about Aboriginal languages or check out a list of Aboriginal Language Organisations.
To get a sense of just some of the careers linguistics opens doors to, check out The Linguist Jobs Interview series by Superlinguo! Lauren and Martha at Superlinguo interviewed over 60 people who studied linguistics and went on to careers in and outside of academia. A few of our favourites are linked below:
- Interview with a Software Engineer
- Interview with an Internet Linguist
- Interview with a Lexicographer
- Interview with an Accent Coach
- Interview with a Librarian
- Interview with a Study Abroad Facilitator
- Interview with The Career Linguist
- Interview with an English Foreign Language Teacher
- Interview with a Speech Pathologist
- Interview with a Computational Linguist
- Interview with a Media Language Researcher
- Interview with an Editor and Copywriter
- Interview with a Humanitarian Aid Worker
- Interview with a High School Teacher
- Interview with an Interpreter
- Interview with a Data Manager & Digital Archivist
- Interview with a Language Engineer
On top of these fields, undergraduate study in linguistics opens many opportunities in a general employment position open to new Graduates of Arts, with the specific advantage of being able to point to skills in communication, problem solving, and analytical thinking!
The Linguistics Roadshow 