Chinese and Linguistics
Chinese and linguistics is a combination that gives you both deep fluency in one of the world's most spoken languages and a rigorous understanding of how language itself works as a system of meaning. Mandarin Chinese is the native language of over a billion people and the language of one of the most significant economies and cultural traditions in the world. Linguistics, meanwhile, provides the analytical tools to understand language at the level of sounds, grammar, meaning, variation, and change, making you a more effective language learner and a more reflective communicator.
At the University of Westminster, this part-time programme allows you to pursue both disciplines flexibly, combining study with other commitments. You will develop genuine competence in Chinese, working on reading, writing, speaking, and listening across contemporary contexts, and you will engage with Chinese culture, history, and society as part of the linguistic and cultural immersion the degree provides. Alongside this, you will study the core areas of linguistics, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, as well as the sociolinguistics of language variation and the psycholinguistics of language acquisition and processing.
Westminster's combination of Chinese language study with wider linguistic analysis is designed to give you both practical language skill and a theoretical understanding of how and why language works the way it does.
Graduates go on to careers in translation, interpreting, international business, education, journalism, and roles that require engagement with Chinese-speaking communities and organisations. The linguistic knowledge the degree provides is also relevant to language technology, applied linguistics, and academic research. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in Chinese studies, linguistics, translation, or international relations, and some pursue careers in the cultural, diplomatic, or commercial sectors where Chinese language competence is a significant asset.