Linguistics is the science of language. It seeks to discover the psychological and motor mechanisms of human speech, the similarities and differences among languages, how languages change, and the way in which language is acquired. Because linguistics is largely independent of fields with which the student is likely to be familiar, no special background is required for students entering the major.<br>Linguistics interacts with a wide variety of fields, such as articulatory phonetics (biology), acoustic phonetics (physics), field methods (anthropology), language and culture (anthropology), sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, logic, the philosophy of language, and the study of particular languages (including their history). This interaction provides opportunities for students with varied interests and can give new perspectives to those in related disciplines.<br>Upon electing the linguistics major, and certainly no later than the middle of the sophomore year, a student should see the Director of the Linguistics Committee for advising.<br>The director can help students find a suitable advisor to file the necessary forms. In consultation with an advisor, a student plans a coherent program of specific courses to meet the requirements below. The student and the advisor must then submit a copy of the program to the full Committee on Linguistics for approval.<br>Students interested in the linguistics major should request from the committee director information concerning the many possible course programs. Many of them permit double majors, thus providing strong preparation for further study in two fields.