The Department of Linguistics offers undergraduate instruction in Linguistics, English as an International Language, English as a Second Language, and a variety of "less commonly taught" languages.

Linguistics courses focus on empirical and theoretical issues connected with how languages are structured, how they are used, and how they change through time. These courses are of interest not only to linguistics majors, but to students in any field where the analysis of languages is important: anthropology, speech and hearing science, psychology, philosophy, computer science, foreign languages, and others.

English as an International Language courses are concerned with the teaching of English to speakers of other languages, and are useful to any students planning a career in language teaching.

English as a Second Language courses are designed to build up skills in speaking, understanding, reading and writing English. These courses are for students whose first language is not English, and who would like to improve their English skills.

Less Commonly Taught Language courses build up skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing a specific language; familiarize students with literatures and cultures connected with the language; and examine linguistic issues peculiar to the language itself. These courses are of interest to students planning international careers, or simply desiring to broaden their perspective and learn about a different language and culture.