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[Maestro]

Linguistics, the scientific study of language, focuses on the sounds, words, and grammar of specific languages; the relationship between languages; or the universal characteristics of all languages. It may also analyze the sociological and psychological aspects of communication.

Linguistics is the only science for which language is the central focus. In spite of being a study dedicated to language, Linguistics is not confined within language itself. It has biological, psychological, sociological dimensions that have a practicability in the day-to-day life. Its different streams have a bearing on different streams of knowledge. These branches, commonly known as Applied Linguistics have an applied value in their respective fields and an important role to play in day-to-day life. Among those significant branches can be named-Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Biolinguistics Sociolinguistics and Ethnolinguistics.

Biolinguistics is a study of Anatomical and Physiological (including neurological) foundations of speaking, place of the speech event in human ecology, the development of the individual (human ontogeny) and human evolution (human phylogeny), whereas Psycholinguistics deals with the psychology of language learning.

Neurololinguistics is the science concerned with the human brain mechanisms underlying the comprehension, production and abstract knowledge, be it spoken, signed or written. This field straddles the boarders between linguistics, neurolobioligy and computer science and has an important role to play in speech therapy of the deaf and dumb and mentally retarded. The Ethnolinguistics studies man's linguistic customs (e.g. greeting, swearing, naming children).

Sociolinguistics or the sociology of language is the study of man's roles in relation to language, of language networks, of co-variation between language traits and social roles and of the part played by language in various social processes. The sociology of language use covers the linguistics aspects of small- group interaction, conformity and subversion, hierarchy etc.

The functional use of Linguistics can be seen in the following branches of knowledge:
 Grammar
 Translation
 Second language learning
 Lexicography
 One area that has proved fruitful for applied linguistics in the late 20th century is computerized machine translation and automatic speech recognition

The fact that language enjoys a privileged position in the pattern of human behaviour and Linguistics plays a cardinal role in the different sciences of man demands that Linguistics take on both academic and professional responsibilities.

Scope of Linguistics: The scope of Linguistics is not only the ambit of teaching and studies. It has a big world beyond a layperson's imagination. This single discipline opens-up multidimensional career avenues ranging from the glory of national/international interpreter, pride of preparing dictionary, attractive tourism, responsible task of unearthing historical mysteries, noble work of developing artificial speech for the deaf and dumb and so on. Scope of Linguistics can be enumerated in the following way on the basis of related fields:
1. Language:
 Foreign Language teaching
 Interpreting/ Translation
 Grammar and phonetics (pronunciation)
 Transcription
2. Education and training:
 Language policy design
 Text book design
 Authorship
3. Media:
 Print and online journalism
 Copy- writing and editing
4. Audiology:
 Speech pathology
 Speech therapy
 Speech education
 Artificial speech production
5. Travel and tourism industry:
 Tourist guide with the knowledge of foreign language
6. Library:
 Information managers
 Media/documentation specialists
7. IT Sector:
 Linguistics may be employed in developing machines that can understand and produce human speech as well as computer programmes that automatically translate and check grammar.
8. Freelancing:
 Tutor
Potential Employers:
 Computer/IT industry
 Media: Linguists are in demand in print and electronic media for copywriting.
 Travel and tour industry
 Film and television production
 Archaeological Survey of India
 Libraries
 Schools of deaf and dumb
 Foreign embassies
 Language institutes
 Educational institutes offering related courses.
 Selfemploy-ment as a tutor/consultant
Types of courses available in our country:
1. Undergraduate leading to Bachelor Degree
2. Postgraduate leading to Master degree
3. Doctoral leading to Doctorate
Institutes offering courses in Linguistics:
1. Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad - 500007
email: ciefhyd@ciefl.ac.in
2. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi-110016, web; http://www.jnu.ac.in
3. Department of Linguistics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-Tamil Nadu.
4. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, e.mail: mau.ac.in
5. Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda, 396002
6. University of Kolkata, College Street, Kolkata-700073
7. Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar-608002