This programme will develop your understanding of how language knowledge changes as people acquire or lose language at various points in their life.

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), Linguistics research at Edinburgh is ranked 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK (Times Higher Education, Modern Languages and Linguistics, Rank order by GPA).

The programme is designed primarily for graduates with a background related to linguistics and/or psychology who wish to develop their knowledge of current research on language acquisition - first, second, bilingual, and impaired. You will also look at language change from a cognitive perspective and from the point of view of current linguistic theories.

Joining a vibrant research community of developmental linguists, you will have the opportunity to carry out advanced research to try to answer questions related to the area of language development and bilingualism. These questions might include, ‘how do children learn language?’ or ‘what happens when we forget a language?’

You will benefit from the programme's strengths in:

Scope - which places equal emphasis on first and second language acquisition and bilingualism, making it an ideal choice for those looking to gain a broad knowledge in language development studies with focus on empirical/experimental research
Interdisciplinary teaching - allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests
Skill-oriented training - through methodology courses, lab sessions and project work, you will be equipped with cutting-edge research skills