Linguistics

Our world-class research is characterised by a tight integration of theoretical and experimental work spanning the full width of the linguistic enterprise and forms the bedrock of the department’s eminent reputation, which is also reflected in other markers of excellence, such as its editorial involvement with top journals in the field.

In Memoriam of Professor Neil Smith (1939 - 2023). Read our dedication to Neil and leave a tribute on our website.

Modern linguistics develops theoretical models of the language faculty, the uniquely human ability to acquire and use language. Such models are informed by many types of evidence, including native speaker intuitions, patterns of language variation and data from psycholinguistic experimentation. Properties of the language faculty that linguists aim to model range from core grammatical knowledge to the interpretation of utterances in context, and from the normal development of language to its impairments in various populations.

Every member of our 16-strong team of full-time staff contributes to our teaching programmes, so studying linguistics at UCL, whether at undergraduate or graduate level, is guaranteed to bring you into contact with cutting edge research.