We have much to learn about the fundamental nature of language, the features shared by all languages, and the extent to which languages can vary, by observing how speakers of a wide variety of languages choose to express themselves in a multiplicity of contexts. Each new language we encounter can show us alternative ways of conceptualizing experience, of categorizing distinctions and ideas, of managing the flow of information, and of interacting verbally. Faculty, students, and visitors in the UCSB Department of Linguistics place high value on in-depth experience with individual languages and are carrying out work with languages spoken all over the world. Among the most active areas of research at present are the languages of the Americas, Austronesia, the Caucasus, East Asia, and the Himalayas, as well as varieties of English.
