Linguistics is the scientific study of human language and its use. It can be divided into several subfields that study language from different perspectives, including descriptive linguistics, which studies particular languages, and general linguistics, which studies language in general. Some key subfields are phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics. Applied linguistics focuses on practical applications of linguistic research.

2. Linguistics is the scientific study of human
language and its use.
Scope: Syntax, Semantics, phonology,
Morphology, Phonetics.
Someone who engages in this study is
called a linguist.

3.  Language in general and language in
particular can be studied from different
points of view.
 The field of linguistics as a whole can be
divided into several subfields according to
the point of view that is adopted.

4. GENERAL LINGUISTICS DESCRIPTIVE
LINGUISTICS
 Studying language in
general.
 Supplies the concepts and
categories in terms of which
particular languages are to
be analyzed.
 Studying particular
languages.
 Provides the data which
confirm or refute the
propositions and theories
put forward in general
linguistics.

5. Diachronic (Historical)
Linguistics
Synchronic Linguistics
 Traces the historical
development of the
language and records
the changes that have
taken place in it
between successive
points in time:
‘diachronic’ is
equivalent to historical.
 Non- historical: presents
an account of the
language as it is at some
particular point in time.

6. Theoretical Linguistics Applied Linguistics
 Formulation of a
satisfactory theory of the
structure of language in
general.
 Application of the
concepts and findings of
linguistics to a variety of
practical tasks , including
language teaching.

7. Micro linguistics Macro linguistics
 Concerned solely with the
structures of the language
system in itself and for
itself.
 Concerned with the way
languages are acquired,
stored in the brain and
used for various functions;
interdependence of
language and culture;
physiological and
psychological mechanisms
involved in language
behavior.

8. Micro Linguistics Macro linguistics
 Phonetics
 Phonology
 Morphology
 Syntax
 Semantics
 Pragmatics
 Psycholinguistics
 Sociolinguistics
 Neurolinguistics
 Discourse Analysis
 Computational Linguistics
 Applied Linguistics

9.  Phonetics is the scientific study of speech sounds in general.
It studies how speech sounds are articulated, transmitted,
and received.
 Phonology is the study of how speech sounds function in a
language, it studies the ways speech sounds are organized.
It can be seen as the functional phonetics of a particular
language.
 Morphology is the study of the forms and formation of
words. It is a branch of linguistics which breaks words into
morphemes. It can be considered as the grammar of words
as syntax is the grammar of sentences.

10.  Syntax is the study of sentence structure. It deals
with the combination of words into phrases,
clauses and sentences. It is the grammar of
sentence construction.
 Semantics is the study of meaning in all its formal
aspects. Words have several types of meaning
 Pragmatics is the study of language use in context.

11.  Sociolinguistics is the study of the relations between
language and society: how social factors influence the
structure and use of language.
 Psycholinguistics is the study of language and mind: the
mental structures and processes which are involved in the
acquisition, comprehension and production of language.
 Neurolinguistics is the study of language processing and
language representation in the brain. It typically studies the
disturbances of language comprehension and production
caused by the damage of certain areas of the brain.

12.  Discourse analysis, or text linguistics is the study of the
relationship between language and the contexts in which
language is used. It deals with how sentences in spoken and
written language form larger meaningful units.
 Computational linguistics is an approach to linguistics
which employs mathematical techniques, often with the
help of a computer.
 Applied linguistics is primarily concerned with the
application of linguistic theories, methods and findings to
the elucidation of language problems which have arisen in
other areas of experience

13.  Forensic linguistics, legal linguistics, or language
and the law, is the application of linguistic
knowledge, methods and insights to the forensic
context of law, language, crime investigation, trial,
and judicial procedure. It is a branch of applied
linguistics.