Research

The Department of Linguistics at Yale embraces an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the study of the language. Students frequently work with multiple faculty members across several subfields and methods. Explore our current research by subfield below. 

Subfields

  • Computational

    The application of computer science algorithms to the analysis and comprehension of natural language.

  • Documentation

    The collection, processing and archiving of linguistic data in order to analyze and maintain languages.

  • Historical

    The study of how and why languages change over time.

  • Morphology

    The study of structure inside of words.

  • Phonetics

    The study of how speech sounds are produced and perceived. 

  • Phonology

    The study of how contrastive sounds and signs pattern in languages. 

  • Pragmatics

    The study of meaning in context.

  • Psycho/Neurolinguistics

    The study of the relationships between linguistic behavior and psychological processes, including language acquisition.

  • Semantics

    The study of linguistic meaning of words and how those meanings combine into phrases.

  • Syntax

    The study of abstract grammatical structure. 

Research Information

Students carry out cutting-edge linguistic research, culminating in a dissertation.