Prospectus

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Linguistics: Modern Languages

This is a specialisation within the MA Linguistics.

Different language routes in Modern Languages allow students to specialise in their language of choice: Chinese Linguistics, English Linguistics, French Linguistics, German Linguistics and/or Italian Linguistics.

Students follow 30 EC per semester, divided over two semesters. In the first semester, students follow 30 EC in courses, during the second semester students follow 10 EC in courses and write their MA thesis (20 EC).

Students take the following courses:

20 EC: Theme courses in/about the language(s) of their choice

20 EC: Electives from one of four elective packages: Language Learning, Language & Literature, Language & Linguistics, Two Languages Specialisation, or a custom programme of choice (pending approval from the Board of Examiners. Students can choose between regular courses, courses from the Masterlanguage programme and/or a 10 EC internship or individual project.

20 EC: MA thesis

All languages

The five different language themes and their available theme courses are

1. Chinese

Theme courses: Comparative Asian Linguistics, Sinographics: Chinese writing and writing Chinese

2. English

Theme courses: English Word Formation, English Historical Linguistics, Themes in Sociolinguistics: Speakers' choices across the globes

3. French

Theme courses: Variation linguistique et modélisation, C’est quoi la question ? Aspects linguistiques de l’interrogation en français

4. German

Theme courses: Soziolinguistik, Universalien und Rarissima

5. Italian

Theme courses: L’italiano contemporaneo, Italiano L2 e metodi per l’apprendimento dell’italiano come L2

Electives: Four approved elective packages

1. Language Learning: Second Language Acquisition, Qualitative Methods in Linguistics, Statistics in Linguistics, The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition
2. Language & Literature: Courses from the MA Asian Studies or MA Literary Studies
3a. Language & Linguistics: Courses from the MA Linguistics: Linguistics specialisation, linguistic courses from the Masterlanguage programme, an Internship or Individual Project.
3b. Language & Linguistics with a special emphasis on Asian linguistics: Courses from the MA Asian Studies, an Internship or Individual project.
4. Two Languages Specialisation: Two courses from one of the other language specialisations (when French linguistics is your main specialisation, you may, for example, choose two Italian linguistics courses or vice versa).

Chinese

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory theme courses

Comparative Asian Linguistics 10
Sinographics: Chinese Writing and Writing Chinese 10
MA Thesis Linguistics 20

Elective packages

Language Learning

Qualitative Methods in Linguistics 5
Second Language Acquisition 10
Statistics in Linguistics 5
The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition 10

Language & Literature

Courses MA Asian Studies 10/20
Courses MA Literary Studies 10/20

Language & Linguistics

Courses MA Linguistics: Linguistics 10/20
Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

Language & Linguistics with a special emphasis on Asian linguistics

Experimental Phonetics 10
Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

Two Languages Specialisation

Courses Modern Languages: English 10/20
Courses Modern Languages: French 10/20
Courses Modern Languages: German 10/20
Courses Modern Languages: Italian 10/20

English

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory courses

MA Thesis Linguistics 20

Theme courses: choose 20 ec from:

English Word Formation 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Semester 2: Obligatory course

Themes in Sociolinguistics: Speakers' choices across the globe 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Electives: choose 20 ec from:

Elective package Language Learning

Qualitative Methods in Linguistics 5
Second Language Acquisition 10
Statistics in Linguistics 5
The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition 10

Elective package Language & Literature

Literary Studies: English Literature and Culture

Elective package Language & Linguistics

Linguistics: Linguistics

Elective package Two Languages Specialisation

Linguistics: Modern Languages

Individual choice

Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

French

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory courses

MA Thesis Linguistics 20
Linguistic variation and modeling / Variation linguistique et modélisation 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Semester 2: Obligatory course

C’est quoi la question ? Aspects linguistiques de l’interrogation en français 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Choose 20 EC from:

Electives: choose 20 ec from:

Elective package Language Learning

Qualitative Methods in Linguistics 5
Second Language Acquisition 10
Statistics in Linguistics 5
The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition 10

Elective package Language & Literature

Literary Studies: French Literature and Culture

Elective package Language & Linguistics

Elective package Two Languages Specialisation

Individual choice

Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

German

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory courses

MA Thesis Linguistics 20

Theme courses: choose 20 ec from:

Soziolinguistik 10
Masterlanguage courses 5
Universalien und Rarissima: Deutsch in der Sprachtypologie 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Electives: choose 20 ec from:

Elective package Language Learning

Qualitative Methods in Linguistics 5
Second Language Acquisition 10
Statistics in Linguistics 5
The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition 10

Elective package Language & Literature

Literary Studies: German Literature and Culture

Elective package Language & Linguistics

Elective package Two Languages Specialisation

Individual choice

Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

Italian

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory courses

MA Thesis Linguistics 20

Theme courses: choose 20 ec from:

Aspects of contemporary Italian / L’italiano contemporaneo 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Semester 2: Obligatory course

Italiano L2 e metodi per l’apprendimento dell’italiano come L2 10
Masterlanguage courses 5

Electives: choose 20 ec from:

Elective package Language Learning

Qualitative Methods in Linguistics 5
Second Language Acquisition 10
Statistics in Linguistics 5
The Communicative Mind: Investigating the Interplay between Language and Social Cognition 10

Elective package Language & Literature

Literary Studies: Italian Literature and Culture

Elective package Language & Linguistics

Elective package Two Languages Specialisation

Individual choice

Individual Project (FGW) 10
Internship Linguistics 10

Career Preparation

Career Preparation in Linguistics

The programme

The curriculum of Linguistics offers a wide range of perspectives on the history, structure and use of language. The programme has three specialisations.
How can you use this knowledge and the skills that you acquire? Which specialisation should you choose within your study programme and why? What skills do you already have, and what further skills do you still want to learn? How do you translate the courses that you choose into something that you’d like to do after graduation?
These questions and more will be discussed at various times during your study programme. You may already have spoken about them with your study coordinator, [the or other students, or made use of the Leiden University Career Zone. Many different activities are organised to help you reflect on your own wishes and options, and give you the chance to explore the job market. All these activities are focused on the questions: ‘What can I do?’, ‘What do I want?’ and ‘How do I achieve my goals?’.

Activities

You will be notified via the Faculty website, your study programme website and email about further activities in the area of job market preparation. The following activities will help you to thoroughly explore your options, so we advise you to take careful note of them:

Transferable skills

Future employers are interested not only in the subject-related knowledge that you acquired during your study programme, but also in the ‘transferable skills’. These include cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation and innovation; intrapersonal skills, such as flexibility, initiative, appreciating diversity and metacognition; and interpersonal skills, such as communication, accountability and conflict resolution. In short, they are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.
It is therefore important that during your study programme you not only acquire as much knowledge as possible about your subject, but also are aware of the skills you have gained and the further skills you still want to learn. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus of [Linguistics] include, in addition to the courses’ learning objectives, a list of the skills that they aim to develop.
The skills you may encounter in the various courses are:

  • Collaboration

  • Persuasion

  • Research

  • Self-directed learning

  • Creative thinking

  • Analytical skills

Internships

During your studies you have ample opportunity to gain experience studying, working, or conducting research at an organisation or institution. This experience is highly valued within international organisations. Many of our students choose to do an internship during their study. Internships are a great way to gain invaluable first-hand experience in your area of interest before you decide on making it a career. More information about finding and arranging an internship can be found on this website.

In recent years, students from Linguistics (specialisation) have participated in internships at:

  • Leiden University Centre for Linguistics

  • Koninklijke Brill NV

  • Transnational Consulting S.L.

  • Taalmuseum Leiden

  • Meertens Instituut

  • Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Rome

  • Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

  • KERN B.V. Vertaal- en Tolkservice

  • LiBC Babylab voor taalverwerving

  • Europees Parlement

  • Pro Comunidades Indigenas

  • Instituut voor Gebaren, Taal & Dovenstudies

Contact

If you have any questions about career choices, whether in your studies or on the job market, you are welcome to make an appointment with the career adviser of the the Humanities Career Service 071-5272235, or with your Coordinator of Studies.