Linguistics Department, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, SOAS University of London

Our Head of School says:

In our languages lies our accumulated wisdom. Each language is a unique expression of the human experience of the world because it embodies information about the culture of its speakers and the knowledge acquired by previous generations. Thus, linguistic diversity constitutes one of the greatest treasures of humanity, an enormous storehouse of our cumulative knowledge of the universe. As a famous linguist once said, each time a language is lost it is “like dropping a bomb on the Louvre”.

Many scholars also believe that by studying various languages we can investigate the complexity and creative potential of the human mind. Exploring similarities and differences between languages helps us to comprehend more fully how our brain works, and ultimately what it means to be human.

The Department of Linguistics at SOAS was founded in 1932 as the first department of general linguistics in Great Britain. But we are not only the first: we are unique in this country, and perhaps internationally, because the variety of languages studied in our department is not comparable to any other linguistics department in the world. If you are fascinated by languages please do join one of our degree programmes!

Degree Programmes

Facts and figures

93%: for quality of learning resources (NSS 2016)

Teaching

93% for quality of learning resources (NSS 2016)
Excellent staff/student ratio and small class sizes
Currently 52 UG students and 63 Masters students
10 to 12 research students from various parts of the world join the department each year

Research

Top ten nationally for our research output of world-leading quality and for the vitality of our research environment (REF 2014)
A seminar series, frequent workshops and regular conferences with high-calibre international participation
Several research and reading groups for students and staff, collaborative activities with other linguistics departments in the south of England and other University of London colleges.
Frequent invited lectures and academic visitors, in particular from Africa and Asia
Easy access to excellent specialist library holdings and endangered languages archive
The department publishes two journals, Language Documentation and Description and SOAS Working Papers in Linguistics

Alumni and student stories

Birgul Yilmmaz PhD in Linguistics

"My main reason for coming to SOAS was that this was the only place where there was a specialist who could supervise my thesis."

I enjoy the student atmosphere here. The Students’ Union bar and café is cozy and friendly and I’ve enjoyed getting involved in the knitting for peace club. Also I have been impressed by the array of specialists in the department of Linguistics.
Lialin Rotem-Stibbe BA Linguistics

"Studying linguistics at SOAS has opened my eyes to a whole world of languages which can sometimes be overlooked in a Western education"

I think the variety at SOAS is one of its strongest aspects – simply being a student at SOAS has taught me a lot about cultures and has given me the opportunity to meet so many great people.
Emma Young BA Linguistics

"I am extremely thankful that SOAS has given me the opportunity to learn about my heritage"

It is a quirky university making it stand out from all the rest, being extremely culturally diverse and welcoming towards students from all backgrounds.
Hristina Racheva, INALCO France Erasmus Programme

"London is city that offers a thing to everyone. Luckily, most of these “things” are available for free or at a low price if booked in advance. "

My primary destination has always been SOAS, not London. But I somehow got attached to the crowded, and yet cosy, streets of London, with its tiny cafes and shops that take you on multicultural tours around the world.
Atika Dawood BA Arabic and Linguistics

"Being small and tight-knit, SOAS made further education seem less daunting and overwhelming."

Not only did my professor’s passion for his subject really shine through but his class was brilliant enough for me to run between campuses so as not to miss a word.
Kozue Oguma MA Translation

"The SOAS course has provided me with the practical foundation to help me excel as a translator. "

It was while working at the law firm that I first considered pursuing a career as a translator. I was drawn to the position because it allowed me to combine my interests in law and language.

Our publications

The History of Negation in the Languages of Europe and the Mediterranean. Volume I: Case Studies

David Willis, Christopher Lucas, and Anne Breitbarth, eds. (2013).

Oxford Studies in Diachronic and Historical Linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Continuity and Change in Grammar

Anne Breitbarth, Christopher Lucas, Sheila Watts and David Willis, eds. (2010).

Ghent University / University of Cambridge.
Repertoires and choices in African languages

Lüpke, Friederike and Storch, Anne (2013)

Boston; Berlin: de Gruyter. (Language Contact and Bilingualism)
Multilingualism and language contact in West Africa: towards a holistic perspective

Lüpke, Friederike and Chambers, Mary, eds. (2010)

Journal of Language Contact. THEMA Series, Number 3. Brill.
A grammar of Tundra Nenets

Nikolaeva, Irina. (2014).

Mouton Grammar Library 65. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Descriptive typology and linguistic theory: a study in the morphosyntax of relative clauses

Ackerman, Farrell and Irina Nikolaeva. (2013).

Stanford: CSLI and University of Chicago Press.
Objects and information structure

Dalrymple, Mary and Irina Nikolaeva (2011).

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.