Many people are interested in studying for an undergraduate or graduate degree in linguistics or masters degree in reading, but often they have questions concerning their career opportunities after earning a diploma. The good news is that there are many fields that a linguistics degree holder can enter. Here is a list of the top five career paths that a background in linguistics can be a benefit:

Becoming a teacher or professor. The most popular career path for graduates with degrees in linguistics is teaching. Many linguistic program graduates work in classrooms teaching foreign languages or English as a Second Language (TESL). Linguistic majors that want to live abroad often choose to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Graduates that are fluent in more than one language will have a greater pool of teaching opportunities. Holders of higher degrees in linguistics can even choose to teach linguistics at the university level.

Writing and editing. Linguistic majors often develop the skills that are required to become effective communicators and writers. Freelance and staff positions, as writers or editors, are available for linguistic majors. These careers focus on the creation of language acquisition and usage curriculums at major educational and academic publishers. Other linguists choose to write self-help books, articles for traditional print or online media. Some linguists choose to spend their time translating foreign languages.

Becoming a speech therapist. With additional training, linguists can choose to become a speech therapist and assist individuals with speech difficulties. Linguists who are interested in speech pathology can work as speech therapists in a variety of settings. Speech therapists find jobs at rehabilitation centers, hospitals, schools and, even, private practices.

Becoming a researcher. Linguists are in demand for positions in labs that are involved in the study of language. Many linguists are essential team members at research centers that focus on neurolinguistics and pyscholinguistics. Linguists that work in this field help to uncover how speech and language is acquired and how certain patients lose these language abilities. Linguists who are interested in computers and programming may enjoy the field of computational linguistics. Computational linguists help to develop and improve new computer software, such as grammar checkers and speech recognition.

Working for the government. The government often hires linguists to develop language-based projects or to work in organizations like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Many Foreign Service Officers and FBI agents have a background in linguistics. Government-related linguistic careers can be extremely interesting and challenging.

The field of linguistics offers a wide range of career opportunities and it is important that students who are interested in studying linguistics think about their future job preferences while they are still in school. Planning for post graduation employment will allow the student to enroll in elective courses that will help them secure a job in the field that they are most interested in pursuing. The future outlook for holders of degrees in Linguistics is good, as long as linguistic students are able to focus on a career goal early enough to build experience.