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Spotlight on LING 220: Introduction to Linguistics
Hear what our students love about this exciting introductory course! Term lecturer Eva Tchizmarova describes the skills and knowledge that you will gain. learn more →
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"I strive to honour Virginia’s legacy by dedicating myself to my clients, the field of speech-language pathology, and giving back to my community."
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Current Term Info
All classes are cancelled and the Linguistics offices are closed for Victoria Day on Monday, May 19th. learn more →
Choosing Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, including language analytics, how languages evolve, and how we use language to communicate. Linguistic research advances knowledge on how we socialize, how we understand or misunderstand one another, and how we use language to interpret the world around us. Areas of study include sounds (phonetics and phonology), words (morphology), sentences (syntax), pattern and variation analysis (corpus linguistics), narratives and conversations (discourse analysis), meaning (semantics and pragmatics), and the study of individual languages such as Indigenous languages.
SFU Linguistics is one of the largest and most diverse linguistics programs in Canada. We offer a wide range of courses about language at the undergraduate level, including certificate programs in Linguistics of Speech Science and Teaching English as a Second Language. We also offer graduate programs for MA and PhD degrees. The work conducted in our research labs aims to address questions such as how language is acquired in infancy, how second languages are acquired, and how language can be processed by computers.
Career options related to linguistics are expanding each year, as the value of skills such as computational text analysis, practical application of phonetic science, and sociolinguistic analysis is being recognized in the increasingly data-driven job market. Linguistics graduates may choose to work in analytics, language data management, ESL instruction, speech language assistance, and natural language processing (NLP). With further education, a student can become an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, forensic linguist, and more.
News and events
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May 12, 2025
Spotlight on LING 220: Introduction to Linguistics
Hear what our students love about this exciting introductory course! Term lecturer Eva Tchizmarova describes the skills and knowledge that you will gain. -
May 09, 2025
Congratulations to LING alumna Kylie Brajcich, recipient of the Speech-Language & Audiology Canada Virginia Martin Memorial Scholarship
"I strive to honour Virginia’s legacy by dedicating myself to my clients, the field of speech-language pathology, and giving back to my community." -
May 06, 2025
Colloquium by Lauren Schneider: Corpus-informed syntax: Exploring Hul’q’umi’num’ serial verb constructions
Join us via Zoom for a research talk on May 13th at 11:30am. Schneider is Interim Director of the NAMA Program at The University of Arizona.
A word from our professors
Moments of realization are common while discovering linguistics - "I always sensed that was true, but didn't know why!"
Dr. Wong Einwag offers insight on the ways that linguistics affects our world and our worldview.
Dr. Marianne Ignace, Director of the Indigenous Languages Program, has built research and educational partnerships in and with Indigenous communities.
Several members of faculty provide a broad overview of the different areas of study within linguistics.
Dr. Taboada explains her areas of research, including evaluative language, discourse analysis, and computational linguistics.
Term lecturer Eva Tchizmarova describes the skills and knowledge to be gained in LING 220: Introduction to Linguistics.