Japanese and Linguistics - MA (Hons)

The University of Edinburgh

Over the past 150 years, Japan has experienced change at a rapid pace but has nevertheless retained its fascinating cultural heritage.Study with us and you will develop the linguistic, intercultural and analytical skills to engage with this dynamic society in an interdisciplinary way.Japanese and Linguistics make an excellent joint honours choice by combining the study of:* a modern language in its cultural context* the expression and creation of meaningYou will benefit from the same Japanese language training as our MA (Hons) Japanese students, but will be able to focus your studies on the social scientific understanding of language.On our programme, Linguistics options of particular relevance to language students cover:* sociolinguistics - the relationship between language and society* variation in the languages of the world* first and second languages acquisition* Global Englishes**Japanese**Edinburgh is the only university in Scotland to offer undergraduate honours degrees in Japanese.Our programme has been carefully designed to enable you to become an expert on Japan. You will also learn about the country's place in East Asia, one of the world's most important and influential regions.Our language courses will develop your skills in speaking, listening to, reading and writing Modern Japanese. You can start the language as a complete beginner, or at a more advanced level - we will place you in the right course for you. Our programme is not for native speakers, but we welcome heritage language learners.A highlight of the programme is spending Year 3 in Japan, studying abroad and experiencing Japanese culture firsthand.**Linguistics**Linguistics examines how language works, describing how sounds, words, sentences and conversations combine to express and create meaning.You will also study different aspects of language, including:* its uses in everyday life* how its use varies across society and evolves over time* how it is mastered by childrenAs you progress through the programme, you will have the opportunity to plan and test scientific hypotheses about linguistic phenomena using specialist linguistics and phonetics equipment.**Programme benefits*** Choose from three entry levels in Japanese - beginner, post-beginner or advanced.* Study over four years, giving you the choice and flexibility to try out different things.* Spend Year 3 in Japan.* Build up to fluency in Japanese and combine practical language learning with language science and the study of Japanese history and culture.* Explore fantastic libraries and collections at the University and in the city.* Join societies, attend events, and gain the skills and confidence for life after university.

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures