If you’re considering studying linguistics, you may be concerned about your prospects after graduation. After all, most of us don’t know anyone who goes to the office every day to work as a linguist. However, as this article will explain, this academic field will provide you with a solid foundation for both your professional and personal life. Moreover, studying at a Christian college will ensure that your academic experience complements and enhances your spiritual life. So why should you study linguistics? Let us tell you.
1. You want to prepare for a career of service.
Many people choose to attend a religious college hoping to find an opportunity to make the world a better place. This field will prepare you for this. For example, many linguists go on to become educators. Some will teach English, while others will train teachers how to better communicate with their students. Still others become an interpreters or translators, in settings like courts and hospitals. If you are called to a life of service, this field could be a valuable step in your path.
2. You want to gain skills in communications and critical thinking.
No matter what your career goals are, you will need good communications and critical thinking skills. Studying this field means that you will be studying the way that language itself works. You’ll gain a clearer understanding of how to express yourself, and why others express themselves in certain ways, a skill that is invaluable in both business and life. If you’re attending a Christian school hoping to gain a better understanding of the word of God, studying language may help you interpret and understand Biblical texts and explain them to others.
3. You’re planning to continue your education beyond the undergraduate level.
If you know that you want to continue your education beyond the undergraduate level, but are still looking for guidance on what path to pursue, this field may be a good option. People who major in this field go on to pursue MA and PhD programs in many diverse fields. The critical thinking and analytical skills you’ll gain from your study will translate into almost any academic field.
4. You want to gain proficiency in another language.
While it’s a myth that all linguists are polyglots, most linguists do speak at least one language other than English. Moreover, you’ll be studying how language works and how language is acquired. That means that you’ll likely have an easier time picking up languages than the average person. If you have any interest in traveling the world, whether on a mission trip or for personal purposes, this skill will serve you immensely.
5. You’d like to be a professor.
If you have ambitions of being a professor, earning your degree at an institute that shares your values is one way to better your chances of one day teaching at a similar institute. Studying at a Christian school will also leave you with a unique understanding of Biblical values that others might not have. Linguistics departments are common at universities across the country, meaning this is a useful field to study if you have dreams of one day being a professor.
We hope we’ve given you more confidence about pursuing this field as a major. We strongly believe that our field of study can be an asset for almost anyone, regardless of career path. Wherever your life takes you, the skills you learn here will last forever.
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