What is Applied Linguistics?
Applied Linguistics is the study of how people use, learn, teach, and are affected by language—every day, in every corner of the world. Applied linguists investigate real-life issues involving language in a variety of contexts and draw on interdisciplinary perspectives and analytic tools to address them in classrooms, institutions, and society.
Choose a Program that Suits Your Goals:
Major in Applied Linguistics (B.A.; 30 credits)+
Students will explore how language shapes our lives, from everyday interactions to global communication. By understanding language as a social practice, they develop the tools to investigate and analyze how people use language to create meaning in diverse contexts.
Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (18 credits)+
The TESOL minor at Penn State introduces students to language use, culture, and social interaction and equips them with skills for English language teaching programs both in the United States and internationally.
Why Study Applied Linguistics at Penn State?
At Penn State, Applied Linguistics combines practical experience with academic study. Students engage in hands-on research, explore language in real-world settings, and study topics like second language acquisition, discourse analysis, and language and technology.
The program prepares students to teach, research, and advocate—whether by improving language instruction, supporting underrepresented communities, or informing public policy—culminating in a capstone project focused on original or community-based work.
You might like this program if you:
- Relish in spotting patterns in language
- Get a kick out of examining words, accents, or grammar rules
- Enjoy helping others with language—whether that’s writing a clearer sentence or ordering in a new language
- Picture yourself as a “global citizen” who is drawn to traveling and meeting new people, and sees language as a bridge to new experiences and perspectives.
Your Future with a Degree in Applied Linguistics
This course of study can prepare you for graduate study as well as potential careers in diverse professions such as information sciences and technology, language policy and planning, market research and analysis, education, national security, translation and interpretation, and international affairs.
The program’s strong interdisciplinary approach and emphasis on language as social practice provides students with analytical and communication skills that are highly valued across multiple professional sectors, including:
- Business
- Research
- Education
- Foreign service and diplomacy
- Social justice and advocacy
- Communications and media
- Nonprofits
- Law