Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Simon Fraser University has 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 leading to MA and PhD degrees. Research in linguistics at SFU is characterized by interdisciplinarity, breadth in research methodology, and diversity in theoretical perspective.
The use of language is a vital part of what makes us human. Linguists study the formal properties of language, how it evolves, and how it is used in social situations. Though linguists do study topics related to specific languages, the ultimate goal is to understand the nature and purpose of human language use as a whole. Linguistic research advances knowledge on how we communicate, how we function in society, and how we interpret the world around us. The work conducted in our linguistic 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.
We offer undergraduate courses about sounds (phonetics and phonology), words (morphology), sentences (syntax), narratives and conversations (discourse analysis), and meaning (semantics and pragmatics), and Indigenous languages.
Recent News
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May 17, 2024
Congratulations to our 2024 speech-language pathology admits
May 18th is National Speech-Language Pathologist Day. Join us in celebrating SFU Linguistics students who have been newly admitted to SLP graduate programs! Read the article here. -
May 07, 2024
Dr. Heather Bliss and PhD student Lauren Schneider present at WAIL
WAIL is an annual Indigenous Languages conference hosted by the Linguistics department at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). -
April 17, 2024
Watch finalist Vanja Vekic present her Three-Minute Thesis
Vekic presented her research "Harry Potter and the Existential There" at the SFU Three-Minute Thesis Finals on April 4th
General questions? Email us at lingdept@sfu.ca
Undergraduate Advising
For program information, course planning, program declarations, graduation checks, and other academic advising, email the Advisor at lingadv@sfu.ca
Please be sure to include a copy of your Advising Transcript (in term and subject order).
Advising appointments will be conducted by phone, Zoom, or in person by appointment. Please email the advisor to arrange an appointment.