We use language every day. We speak, write, receive and communicate in everyday life, at work, in personal conversations, by e-mail, SMS and on the net – in the field of tension between oral and written language styles. Linguistics and communication science are concerned with the description and analysis of such communication phenomena.

How must a homepage be designed to be usable for different types of users? According to which rules does communication in personal conversations function?
Chat rooms or e-mails? Why do some technologies prevail and others not? Which arguments are dominant in public discussions and why? How can they be used convincingly in lectures and presentations? How can space be constructed with the help of language?

The degree programme in Linguistics and Communication Science deals with the description and analysis of communication phenomena. Particular attention is paid to the topics of language and thinking, Internet communication and public language use, technical culture and sociology of technology. The spectrum of topics ranges from socially relevant text types to questions of rhetorical communication and medical-ethical problem areas in media discourse.

Students work in two fields – linguistics and communication science.
In addition, studying at a technical university offers them the opportunity to discover perspectives of engineering and natural sciences from which they can understand the phenomena of language and communication
interdisciplinary view. Thus, three disciplinary approaches are linked together:
Linguistics describes the structure of language – from the smallest to the most complex linguistic units – with the sub-disciplines phonology, morphology and syntax. Semantics and pragmatics focus on aspects related to meaning and action. For example, the use of language is described in specific texts or in different contexts and domains, for example politics, business enterprises or advertising.

Communication science expands this linguistic approach with regard to language as a means of communication. Among other things, it takes into account interaction and communication with various media. Of particular interest are interactions between media and their users. Furthermore, the communicative possibilities and limits of different media and application contexts are examined.

The interdisciplinary perspectives open access to the phenomenon of language from the perspective of other disciplines. Neighbouring disciplines from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering offer a wide range of findings and methods that can enrich the repertoire of linguistics and communication studies.