Careers in Linguistics

How can learning about language help you?

Here are some answer from four former linguistics students.

Matthew Kennedy did linguistics as part of an Arts/Law degree. He's just finished working as a lawyer for the Northern Land Council (a major body representing Aboriginal land-owners in the Northern Territory), and has just left for the World Trade Organization, in Geneva, to work on TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property). He's also taught English to Chinese speakers, worked as an interpreter and had a job in a circus..

There's a cross-cultural theme running through Matthew's life. Studying linguistics "disabused me of any notion that my language was the natural way to express things so that makes it easier to understand other cultures. Linguistics is not just grammar, not just a dry rule-based study, the anthropological linguistics was really good."

And of course an interest in language pervades his work. Matthew says that it "gives you confidence about using language as a tool if you have studied language in its own right" For instance, he's found it helpful in legal drafting.

He concludes: "I started out studying linguistics for fun/interest.. It's just a bonus that it has turned out to be so useful in various parts of my working life."

David Handaker did linguistics at Sydney. He has worked as a journalist, investigative reporter for 60 minutes, and speech writer for a Federal Minister of Housing, and now works as an reporter for 4 Corners.

David found his training in linguistics invaluable for his work as reporter. "Linguistics gave me an explicit knowledge of how to go about restructuring text rather than having to rely on 'feel' or proceeding by trial and error. Some colleagues find it difficulty in adapting to different levels of discourse but I have been able to move between the Australian and the Sunday Telegraph in the print media and between 60 Minutes and 4 Corners in TV. This is directly because of linguistics."

It has helped him write simply; it has helped him understand how to restructure text, and how to adapt to different ways of talking and writing. He says "This is directly because of linguistics."

Selena McLennan is working for an acting agency. Her job covers applications for grants, dealing with overseas correspondence, handling financial matters, and generally being involved in the world of film.

Of her time studying linguistics at Sydney, Selena says: "I had a great time. I got a love of learning, how to glean information, how to write well; it keeps you conscious of language..questions about language. I like thinking about the questions even if I don't know the answers."

Now that she has a baby, she has been recording some of his language for interest. "I really enjoyed (the subject) Language Acquisition when I was doing it and now I am seeing it first hand... Got out my language acquisition books to help with watching my child!"

Another student recalls analysing a document with legal and bureaucratic content as part of her Linguistics 1 course in 1980. Although she did not take her studies past First Year, she has found this to be a valuable foundation and regrets not having been able to do more. She has worked as a solicitor for about ten years, both in private practice and as an 'in-house' solicitor in a bank and an industrial association, and is involved in legal education.

We asked her: Where does linguistics fit in now - if at all?

She replied: What we did in Linguistics made me very conscious of different levels of language. You become very aware of the audience that you are trying to communicate with. Law is increasingly focusing on communication and one area that is becoming more important is cross-cultural communication.

Another area where Linguistics has been useful is in legal drafting. I found that I enjoyed legal drafting (not everyone does!) and I put this down to my background in Linguistics.