Department of Linguistics

Established in 1985, the Department of Linguistics has emerged as a centre of excellence in teaching and research. The department offers M.A. and Ph.D. programmes and is actively engaged in advanced research across multiple domains of linguistics.
In addition to academics, the department contributes to society through extension activities such as tribal literacy, adult education, and teacher training programmes. The M.A. Linguistics programme is uniquely designed, integrating core and Applied Linguistics with interdisciplinary supportive courses that attract students from diverse academic backgrounds.

Vision

To impart technical expertise in understanding the systems of languages in general, and Dravidian and tribal languages in particular.

Mission

• To develop analytical and research skills in linguistics
• To enable students to write grammars and analyze languages scientifically
• To support language teaching, learning, and evaluation
• To apply linguistic knowledge across disciplines
• To promote theoretical and applied linguistic research

The Department got the UGC Special Assistance Programme (UGC-SAP-DRS ) and completed two Phases. The focus of the SAP is on language and culture of the indigenous people inherited in the Western Ghats. The department has been crowned with a unique honor by obtaining the Endangered Languages Scheme from the UGC, New Delhi. The Department has got two major research projects from RUSA 2.0. The first project deals with empowering Tribal People of Western Ghats. The second project deals with Developing a Trilingual E- Dictionary for Tribal Languages. The Department made a tie-up with the University of Malaya – Malaysia, for arranging out-bound programme to the Linguistics students of the University of Malaya. So far, 5 batches of students from Malaysia had undergone linguistics training from our faculty members as well as from the prominent linguists of India

The Department has, so far, published 42 books, and 3 monographs. The Department has so far produced 110 Ph.D. Scholars and 50 M.Phil. Scholars. The Department has been publishing an international peer reviewed journal recognized by UGC-CARE every year. The ‘Telugu Chair’ established in the department for studying Telugu Language has produced a number of research works on the Telugu minorities of Kongu region. The faculty members of the Department have so far worked on around 30 Major Research Projects availing the financial support from various funding agencies like UGC,ISSR,DAE,CIIL, ICSSR, RUSA, etc. An audio teaching aid for teaching Tamil to tribal children has been produced by the department. The Department has been regularly conducting seminars/conferences/workshops on various aspects of Linguistics. It has so far conducted 100 plus academic festivities. Orientation programmes for the language teachers of Government Schools of Coimbatore region organized by the department in the regular interval.

The Department has been regularly providing a platform in the name of Research Circle for aspiring linguists of the Department to articulate their research findings publicly. Moreover, each student is given practicum for doing linguistics. The Department has produced a Vice-Chancellor and the faculty members worked and working in this Department have got linguistic training at International level.

Mentor Professors of the Department