How you Learn
The Linguistics Tripos provides the opportunity to concentrate on language as a phenomenon and on the ways languages can be analysed.
The Tripos is divided into two parts, the examination for Part I normally being taken at the end of the first year, with examinations for Part IIA and IIB at the end of the second and third years. Final degree classification is based on the Part IIB result.
The one-year Part I provides a general introduction to all areas of linguistics, while the two-year Part II allows a degree of specialisation in particular areas.
In both IIA and IIB there is a choice of lectures taught within and beyond the Department, the latter including the linguistics of particular languages. Part IIB includes an element of individual research in the form of a dissertation on a chosen topic.
The teaching of Linguistics at the University of Cambridge is delivered through a mixture of lectures, supervisions and practical sessions. A typical week involves four hours of lectures, two hours of supervisions (in groups of six students in Part I, and two students in Part II), and one to two hours of practical classes.
Students may also switch to Part II of the Linguistics Tripos after successful completion of a Part I in another Tripos. The Linguistics Tripos does not require detailed knowledge of a particular language, and so the course is accessible to those who have a general interest in and knowledge of language.
