Linguist Jobs
A linguist is a specialist in human communication. Degrees in linguistics can be earned at the bachelor and graduate level. Linguists study the development and change of language, the relationship between languages, the way languages function in society, geographic trends in language and language history. Because their understanding of language is broad-based, linguists can develop successful careers in a number of fields.
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Education
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Many linguists elect to pursue a career in education. They teach English as a second language to non-native speakers who immigrate or a foreign language in the classroom setting. They act as speech pathologists and therapists for those with delayed or impeded speech. They teach English, journalism and other language topics and classes on linguistics and language histories in the collegiate setting.
Software development
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Linguists work in software development at major technology corporations. They develop voice recognition software, language learning software and artificial intelligence. They also work to develop search engines that are capable of locating relevant data on the Internet based on key word searches.
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Publishing
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Linguists go on to write. Fiction, non-fiction and journalistic authors all work from a linguistic base. The linguists' understanding of language and communication make them more effective and ultimately more successful writers. They also work as copy editors and publishers because of their ability to work critically with language.
Fieldwork
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Linguists work to collect and document data in the field. Linguists involved in field work document changes in language, conduct and record language survey data, look at the relationship between language and cultural heritage and provide information about dying or endangered languages.
Translation
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Linguists who have expertise in working with multiple languages are valuable as interpreters and translators. An interpreter works to translate what is spoken for a multilingual audience or an audience whose primary language is different than that of the speaker. Translators work to transcribe what is written into a different language. Linguists capable of acting as interpreters or translators are valuable in governmental positions, in hospitals, in business and in a variety of other fields.
Entertainment
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Linguists work as speech and vocal coaches for singers and actors. Linguists working in the entertainment industry assist performers in pronunciation, intonation and dialect so that they can give a more authentic performance.
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