Linguistic Diversity and Digital Humanities

What is special about the human mind that makes language possible? Why are there so many different languages in the world? Does your mobile device really understand what you are saying? Can we save languages that are spoken by a very small number of people? Which one is more difficult to learn for artificial intelligence: to communicate in natural speech or to drive a car? Why can you sometimes tell where other people come from just by listening to their accent when they talk? Why doesn't computer-synthesised speech sound human? Why do some languages seem so much more difficult to learn and why do computers struggle with translating between them? Are some languages more complex than others?This Master's programme is for you if youwant to deepen your understanding of language in general, orwant to become an expert in linguistic diversity at a local or global scale, orwant to learn how humans perceive the world and process information, orwant to learn how to create artificial systems that resemble language, speech and human cognition,orwant to know how to use digital methods to study aspects of human life such as history and social development.We offer the following study tracks: Cognitive Science, Digital Humanities, General Linguistics, Language Technology and Phonetics. One of them could be just perfect for you!After completing your studies, you will be able to work independently in various fields that require multidisciplinary expertise. You will have the theoretical knowledge and skills that are required for postgraduate studies in various doctoral programmes (see below).Further information about the studies on the Master's programme website.