BA General Linguistics
At first glance, the diversity of languages is breathtaking. But what do they have in common? What are the cognitive foundations of linguistic competence? How do languages change and why? What can we infer from documented languages for languages spoken in the prehistory of humankind? In the Göttingen program "General Linguistics" students acquire techniques and theories of modern linguistics and become familiar with the analysis of languages from different parts of the world and different times.
Degree | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) on "General Linguistics" (2 subjects B.A.) |
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Regular duration | 6 semesters |
Start | winter term |
Teaching language | German |
Admission | open (enrolment without previous application) |
The subject "General Linguistics" covers the methods and theories of modern linguistics in its entire breadth, having the totality of the world's languages as its object of study. It comprises first of all the core disciplines of linguistics, which are dedicated to the analysis of linguistic phenomena: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Furthermore, our program introduces methods for conducting empirical investigations, such as textual investigations, linguistic fieldwork, historical corpora, and linguistic experiments. In addition, the students will be familiarized with the interfaces of linguistics with other disciplines, e.g., the cognitive foundations of language and communication in general (psycholinguistics) or the interaction between social phenomena and language (sociolinguistics). The program also conveys key competences, such as the techniques of processing language data for phonetic analyses or statistical evaluation. These skills can be used in a wide range of scientific activities and professional fields.
Slides from the information days 2024 (in German)O-Phase: Materials about BA "General Linguistics" (German)
O-Phase 2024: ScheduleO-Phase 2023: Folien
O-Phase 2021: Fach (video)
O-Phase 2021: Studium (video)
O-Phase 2021: Beratung (video)
The profiles of our program offer the opportunity to acquire a further specialization. From the 3rd semester onwards, students of General Linguistics can choose between "Language Typology and Theory" and "Indo-European Linguistics".
Language Typology and Theory
modules in a nutshell
year | winter term | summer term |
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1 | foundations | linguistic structures |
2 | method and analysis | fieldwork and typology |
3 | language, society, change | project work |
Indo-European Linguistics
modules in a nutshell
year | winter term | summer term |
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1 | foundations | linguistic structures |
2 | indoeuropean linguistics | indoeuropean languages in detail |
3 | comparison and change | project work |
Language courses
Foreign language skills are very important for linguistic reflection. A particularly broad spectrum of languages can be selected through the courses offered by the Linguistics Department as well as other departments of the Philosophical Faculty and the University of Göttingen.
Advice and recommendations
- For the language competence modules, modules totaling 16 C must be successfully completed (see list in the study regulations)
- When choosing courses, please note that English courses are not creditable.
Please note that some courses can only be started in the winter term. - Courses can only be credited for one module.
- Language courses that are part of the core curriculum of the second subject are not additionally creditable.
- If you select the profile "Indo-European Linguistics", you will need to advance your knowledge in Ancient Indo-European languages, crucially Latin, Greek and Old Indic.
Map of language modules
The imported modules of the BA Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft contain the languages on the map (represented by a dot in the country of origin).
The courses are not offered every term; please consult the term program for current offers. Further eligible courses are offered by the Center for Languages and Key Qualifications (ZESS) at the University of Göttingen (not listed below).
Altorientalistik (B.AO): Sumerian; Akkadian;
Allg. Sprachwissenschaft (B.ASp): Ancient Greek; Modern Greek dialects; Vedic; Armenian; Lithuanian; Old Irish; Dan; Urum; Yucatec Maya; Georgian; Cabécar (temporary offers within the BA or the certificate program).
Ägyptologie und Koptologie (B.AegKo): Middle Egyptian; Coptic;
Antike Kulturen (B.Antik): Hebrew; Syriac; Aramaic; Ugaritic; Greek;
Arabistik (B.Antik): Arabic; Classical Arabic;
Ethnologie (B.Eth): Bahasa Indonesia; New Guinea Pidgin; Pilipino; Swahili; Vietnamese;
Evangelische Religion (B.EvRel): New Testament Greek;
Finnougristik (B.Fin): Finnish; Hungarian;
Klassische Philologie (B.Gri, B.Lat): Latin; Modern Greek;
Indologie (B.Ind): Sanskrit; Hindi;
Iranistik (B.Ira): Modern Persian; Kurdish;
Skandinavistik (B.Ska): Danish; Norwegian; Swedish; Icelandic;
Slavistik (B.Slav): Russian; Polish; Czech; Bulgarian; Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian; Ukrainian; Old Church Slavonic;
Turkologie (B.Tur): Turkish;
Deutsche Philologie (SK.NL): Dutch;
Romanistik (B.Port/Spa/Ita/Frz): Romanian; Catalan; Italian; Portuguese; Spanish; Galician; Sardinian; French.
List of languages
Objectives
Perspectives