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Linguistics is the study of language, covering how and why we use it and what makes one language different from another. Linguistic jobs are varied, including teaching, research, computer and software design, government work, translation, interpretation, lexicography, and fieldwork with obscure or endangered languages.
Most people instantly assume that a linguist speaks a variety of different languages. In some cases this is true; however, the field of linguistics is really the study of language in the general sense. It covers the whys and wherefores of language, trying to define how we use it, why we use it, and the factors that make one language different from another. As a result, linguistic jobs are many and varied.
Linguistics is divided into a huge number of fields and subfields, which leads to a plethora of specialist linguistic work. The first areas of career opportunity would lie in teaching and education. Linguistic work exists in teaching English as a second language, teaching foreign languages, establishing curricula and testing, and linguistic research. This is just the tip of the semantic iceberg, as linguists’ jobs tend to branch out into a wide range of commercial and government applications.
Some linguists choose to work in the world of computer and software design, developing speech recognition programs or applying linguistic precepts to search engine efficiency. Governments often offer linguist jobs in diplomatic spheres or in intelligence services. As of 2009, particularly in the United States, there were many career possibilities in government for people fluent in Middle Eastern languages and dialects. In the same vein, hospitals, news agencies, major banks and financial organizations, and international legal institutions are looking for capable translators and interpreters around the world.
The entertainment industry also offers jobs for linguists. For example, linguists are often hired to work with actors who need to perform with a foreign accent. To help actors make their role convincing, the linguist will train them in pronunciation, grammar, elocution and colloquial expressions. Yet another domain for the linguist, which can have large financial ramifications, is properly naming products that will be sold in various countries. For example, shortly after the introduction of Coca Cola to China, it was learned that the literal Chinese interpretation of the brand name translated to “bite the waxed tadpole”.
Some of the more traditional linguistic jobs involve lexicography, the task of creating and updating dictionaries. Many linguists are also heavily involved in fieldwork with obscure or endangered languages. In this last field, the aim is to preserve important elements of history and culture. These linguistic researchers can also work with “dead” languages, translating documents, scrolls or books, so that the knowledge of past times can be retained for future generations.
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