Focus in Linguistic Anthropology

 

group of people in silhoutte outside against a background of sky and mountains

 

What is Linguistic Anthropology?

Linguistic anthropology is the study of human communication across the globe, attempting to understand how language and linguistic practices intersect with cultural processes, worldviews, ideologies and identities. It is one of the four traditional subfields of anthropology.


Are you interested in communication, marketing, journalism, professional writing, culture, or health? Consider a focus in Linguistic Anthropology at UTM.

Career areas include:

  • Publishing and Advertising
  • Technical writing
  • Journalism
  • Consulting
  • Government agencies (foreign affairs, justice, Immigration)
  • Health (speech pathology, audiology)
  • Computational linguistics (e.g. computer-assisted linguistic analysis, speech recognition)
  • Market research
  • Academia

“As an independent writer, editor, and journalist, I'm often struck by how much my current work mirrors the skills and methods emphasized by...anthropology: structuring interviews, observing individual or group behaviour, paying attention to people's narratives/stories, etc." - Steven Zhou: Senior Online Writer for CBC News


Undergraduate programs

UTM undergraduate students who focus in linguistic anthropology normally enrol in one of the following programs:

  • Specialist Program in Anthropology (Arts) ERSPE1775 
  • Major Program in Anthropology (Arts) ERMAJ1775

Learn about Anthropology programs at UTM


Undergraduate courses

Most of our recommended upper-level courses for a focus in linguistic anthropology are anthropology social science (SSc) credits.


Spotlight on ANT364H5 Fieldwork in Language, Culture, and Society

Human-centred cultural knowledge is critical to have in our increasingly technological and global world. ANT364H5 will equip you with invaluable, qualitative research skills that are increasingly in demand in the workplace. You can become more aware of the social and cultural milieu in which you are living, and capable of examining it and reflecting upon it in a way that goes far beyond the casual and everyday.

Topics covered in ANT364H5 may include:

  • Collecting oral histories
  • Interviewing
  • Analytical skills

Learn about Anthropology courses at UTM


Teaching and Research Specialties

At UTM, our faculty teaching and research specialties in linguistic anthropology include:

  • Language and youth culture
  • Language and gender
  • Sociolinguistics, conversation analysis
  • Body language and yoga

Regions of interest include:

  • Eastern Africa
  • East Asia
  • South Asia

Virtual Showcase Information Session: A brief overview of Linguistic Anthropology at UTM presented by Dr. Steven Dorland (3:25)