research articles related to linguistics

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Language and linguistics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Latest research and reviews, the construction of stance in english and arabic newspaper editorials: a case study.

• Sharif Alghazo
• Khulood Al-Anbar
• Mohammad Rayyan

Chasm and net: metaphors in elder-related texts in a Chinese economic newspaper

Netflix english subtitling of idioms in egyptian movies: challenges and strategies.

• Ahmad S. Haider
• Reem Shuhaiber

The influence of mentorship and working environments on foreign language teachers’ research motivation in China

• Lawrence Jun Zhang
• Naashia Mohamed

Identifying the underlying psychological constructs from self-expressed anti-vaccination argumentation

• Dawn Holford
• Ezequiel Lopez-Lopez
• Stephan Lewandowsky

Conflictual language ideologies and mismatched language practices of Thai international students at a Chinese-medium instruction university

News and Comment

Language evolution in China

The impetus behind the development of various Chinese dialects is as yet unknown. In a comprehensive quantitative coanalysis of linguistic and genetic data across China, Yang et al. find evidence to suggest that demographic diffusion, cultural diffusion and linguistic assimilation all contributed to the expansive diversity of Chinese dialects.

• Chuan-Chao Wang

Time to revise the terminology we use to regulate water management practices

• Paul Jeffrey
• Heather Smith
• Francis Hassard

Is boredom a source of noise and/or a confound in behavioral science research?

Behavioral researchers tend to study behavior in highly controlled laboratory settings to minimize the effects of potential confounders. Yet, while doing so, the artificial setup itself might unintentionally introduce noise or confounders, such as boredom. In this perspective, we draw upon theoretical and empirical evidence to make the case that (a) some experimental setups are likely to induce boredom in participants, (b) the degree of boredom induced might differ between individuals as a function of differences in trait boredom, (c) boredom can impair participants’ attention, can make study participation more effortful, and can increase the urge to do something else (i.e., to disengage from the study). Most importantly, we argue that some participants might adjust their behavior because they are bored. Considering boredom’s potential for adding noise to data, or for being an unwanted confound, we discuss a set of recommendations on how to control for and deal with the occurrence and effects of boredom in behavioral science research.

• Maria Meier
• Corinna S. Martarelli
• Wanja Wolff

Exploration of the social and philosophical underpinning of ‘the patient’—what this means for people with a long-term condition

Should healthcare professionals use the term ‘patient’? A patient is a social construct, in a biomedical model, in which each actor has their role to play. This model has been criticised as belonging to an era of medical hegemony and (mis)represents an individual seeking healthcare as one who is simply a passive participant and recipient of care. The ‘Language Matters’ campaign, for people living with diabetes, has sought to address the role of language in interactions between healthcare providers. A key point raised in the campaign is whether someone who feels well, but has ongoing healthcare input, should be referred to as a patient? In this article, we address the concept of a patient and how its use can belie a particular mindset (or ‘discourse’) in which power is established in a relationship and can lead to individuals being defined by their condition. However, for some linguistic communities (such as nurses and doctors), a patient may be considered less as one over whom they have dominion, but rather someone for whom they have specific responsibilities and duty of care. Drawing upon the philosophical theories of language—that the meaning and inference of a word is dependent on its use—we argue that the context in which use of the term patient occurs is crucial. Without more fundamental cultural disruption of the biomedical model, word substitution, in itself, will not change perception.

• M. B. Whyte

Approaching the neuroscience of language

• Marika Gobbo

Neural evidence of word prediction

• Jane Aristia

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We’re delighted to announce that all research articles accepted for publication in the Journal of Linguistics from 1 st February 2024 will be ‘open access’; published with a Creative Commons licence and freely available to read online (see the journal’s Open Access Options  page for available licence options). The costs of open access publication will be covered through agreements between the publisher and the author’s institution , payment of APCs from grant or other funds, or else waived entirely, ensuring every author can publish and enjoy the benefits of OA.  

Please see the journal's Open Access Options page for instructions on how to request an APC waiver.

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• Contains open access

• ISSN: 0022-2267 (Print) , 1469-7742 (Online)
• Editors: Professor Kersti Börjars University of Oxford, UK , Professor Helen de Hoop Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands , Professor Adam Ledgeway University of Cambridge, UK , and Professor Marc van Oostendorp Radboud University, The Netherlands
• Editorial board

Recently published articles

Non-agreeing degree constructions.

• Jon Ander Mendia , M.Teresa Espinal
• Journal of Linguistics , First View

Enam Al-Wer, Uri Horesh, Bruno Herin and Rudolf De Jong, Arabic Sociolinguistics . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xvi + 238.

• Marwan Jarrah

A pragmatics-cognitive approach to the opposition relations lexicalized in Chinese

Processing and production of affixes in georgian and english: testing a processing account of the suffixing preference.

• Alice C. Harris , Arthur G. Samuel

Processing and production of clitics in Udi and European Portuguese: Testing a processing account of an extension of the suffixing preference

Opaque morphology and phonology: historical prefixes in english.

• Quentin Dabouis , Jean-Michel Fournier

Stress in French loanwords in British and American English

• Quentin Dabouis , Pierre Fournier

Andreas Kehl, Adjunct islands in English: Theoretical perspectives and experimental evidence (Studies in Generative Grammar 152) . Berlin & Boston: Walter de Gruyter, 2023. Pp. xv + 330.

• Fanjun Meng

Other theoretical linguistics journals from Cambridge

Journal of Germanic Linguistics

Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique

Nordic Journal of Linguistics

Journal of the International Phonetic Association

English Language & Linguistics

Notes on transitivity and theme in English: Part 2

• M. A. K. Halliday
• Journal of Linguistics , Volume 3 , Issue 2

The journal of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain

Articles on Linguistics

Displaying 1 - 20 of 368 articles.

How autistic and non-autistic people can understand each other better

Gemma L. Williams , Swansea University

‘Whatchamacallit’, ‘gizmo’ and ‘thingamajig’: what we say when we can’t find the right word – and why

Ursula Kania , University of Liverpool

Five common English words we don’t know the origins of – including ‘boy’ and ‘dog’

Francesco Perono Cacciafoco , Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Words such as racist slurs can literally hurt – here’s the science

Glenn Hadikin , University of Portsmouth

What are the Conservatives really saying when they say ‘don’t surrender’ to the Labour party?

Charlotte Taylor , University of Sussex

African elephants address one another with name-like calls − similar to humans

Mickey Pardo , Colorado State University

The Singapore Stone’s carvings have been undeciphered for centuries – now we’re trying to crack the puzzle

Mental illness, psychiatric disorder or psychological problem. What should we call mental distress?

Nick Haslam , The University of Melbourne and Naomi Baes , The University of Melbourne

History shows that Britain has always been multilingual

Lindy Brady , Edge Hill University

Diplomacy and resistance: how Dune shows us the power of language – including sign language

Gemma King , Australian National University

‘Bengali Cockney, Black Cockney, East End Cockney, Essex Cockney, Jewish Cockney, Sylheti Cockney’: why community languages matter

Christopher Strelluf , University of Warwick

Are you ready for it? ‘ Yeah-nah ’ comes back stronger – with a little help from Taylor Swift

Kate Burridge , Monash University and Isabelle Burke , Monash University

What are Sabaki languages? How people formed ethnic groups along the coast of east Africa

Daren Ray , Brigham Young University

Don’t blame parents for wanting their children to speak differently – blame society

Rob Drummond , Manchester Metropolitan University

Tea, weather and being on time: analysis of 100 million words reveals what Brits talk about most

Vaclav Brezina , Lancaster University

Are you really in love? How expanding your love lexicon can change your relationships and how you see yourself

Georgi Gardiner , University of Tennessee

How the tide turned on transgender support charity Mermaids

Aimee Bailey , De Montfort University and Jai Mackenzie , Newman University

Sellout! How political corruption shaped an American insult

Ian Afflerbach , University of North Georgia

Why AI software ‘softening’ accents is problematic

Grégory Miras , Université de Lorraine

‘Thirst trap’ and ‘edgelord’ were recently added to the dictionary – so why hasn’t ‘nibling’ made the cut?

Roger J. Kreuz , University of Memphis

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Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford

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Linguistics and Language: A Research Guide: Journal Articles & Dissertations

• Library Support for Linguistics
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Finding Journal Articles and Dissertations

Primary online indexes and databases for linguistics.

• LLBA Language, Linguistics and Behavior Abstracts Covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Documents indexed include journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and working papers.
• Linguistic Bibliography Online "Contains over 440,000 detailed bibliographical descriptions of linguistic publications on general and language-specific theoretical linguistics. While the bibliography aims to cover all languages of the world, particular attention is given to the inclusion of publications on endangered and lesser-studied languages. Publications in any language are collected, analyzed and annotated (using a state-of-the-art system of subject and language keywords) by an international team of linguists and bibliographers from all over the world." [Introduction]
• MLA International Bibliography An international index and database providing references to scholarly articles from over 4000 journals in literature, folklore, literary theory, semiotics, and linguistics.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global Covers 1731 to the present. Many dissertations are available full-text online. Others (citation-only sources) are available through interlibrary loan.

Print Indexes for Linguistics

• Bibliographie linguistischer Literatur (BLL) Call Number: Uris Library Stacks Oversize Z 7003 .B58 ++ Cancelled after 2018. BLL covers articles in periodicals and essays in collective works, including conference and congress proceedings and festschriften. The number of periodicals it covers has gradually increased from 123 in Band 1 to about 770 titles in Band 12 (1986). Coverage is international in scope with a one- or two-year time lag. Besides a division on general linguistics it also includes divisions on English, German, and Romance linguistics. Each of these divisions is subdivided into a form section, a systematic section, and a language section (the latter missing of course in the general linguistics division). The systematic section of each division contains all the entries for that division classified under appropriate subject categories. These entries may also qualify for listing again in the form and/or language sections. This whole classification scheme is fully explained in the introduction which, beginning with Band 7, appears in both German and English, as do the headings. A cumulative author index and subject and name index complete each annual volume. This index and the Bibliographie Linguistique/Linguistic Bibliography are international in scope. The BLL, however, is more current and has the advantage of a subject index. On the other hand it does not begin to cover the variety of languages that the Bibliographie Linguistique does. (De Miller)
• Bibliographie linguistique Call Number: Uris Library Stacks Z 7001 .P451 Library has 1984-2004. See also the online edition, Linguistic Bibliography Online , listed above.

Related Indexes and Databases

• Language Teaching [journal] Available online via Cambridge Core. The Cornell Library also has the print volumes from 1982-2006 (Library Annex Oversize PB 1 .L28). " ... offers critical survey articles of recent research on specific topics, second and foreign languages and countries, and invites original research articles reporting on replication studies and meta-analyses. The journal also includes regional surveys of outstanding doctoral dissertations, topic-based research timelines, theme-based research agendas, recent plenary conference speeches, and research-in-progress reports." [Publisher]
• PsycINFO Access to the international literature in psychology and related behavioral and social sciences, including psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, education, pharmacology, and linguistics.
• Sociology Source Ultimate Offers coverage from all sub-disciplines of sociology.
• Web of Science Indexes journal articles in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It is also a citation database that allows cited- reference searching to identify articles that have cited a particular article or author.

Online Repositories

Increasingly scholars are submitting their papers to open access archives. These digital repositories capture, store, index, preserve, and redistribute digital research material. Many materials archived in digital repositories are searchable by search engines such as Google, as opposed to being sequestered in proprietary databases such as JSTOR or ProQuest.

• LingBuzz LingBuzz is an openly accessible repository of scholarly papers, discussions and other documents for linguistics.
• semanticsarchive.net "For exchanging papers of interest to natural language semanticists and philosophers of language." Maintained by the Linguistic Society of America.
• ROA: Rutgers Optimality Archive "The Rutgers Optimality Archive is a distribution point for research in Optimality Theory and its conceptual affiliates." [Home page]
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• URL: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/linguistics

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Databases for Linguistics Research

This database abstracts and indexes the international literature in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Documents indexed include journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and working papers.

MLA International Bibliography indexes international scholarly materials, including over 4,400 journals, books, working papers, and conference proceedings on language, literature, linguistics, and folklore. It is updated 10 times a year.

Web of Science includes citations from the Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, BIOSIS Citation Index, Zoological Record, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index, and the Derwent Innovation Index. Our Web of Science subscription includes articles published from 1987 to the present; updated weekly. Useful For: systematic reviews, Highly Cited papers, citation metrics

Academic Search Complete is a comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 7,000 full-text periodicals, including nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 11,000 journals and a total of more than 11,600 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format. Searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 journals.

Anthropological Literature is the most comprehensive international resource for the fields of anthropology, archaeology, and related interdisciplinary research. Produced by one of the world's foremost anthropology libraries, Anthropological Literature indexes entries at least two pages long in nearly 900 journals and monographic series held in Harvard University's Tozzer Library. These include articles, reports, commentaries and obituaries. Anthropological Literature online now covers articles published from the late 19th century to the present, including the complete contents of Anthropological Literature: An Index to Periodical Articles and Essays (published quarterly since 1979).

Communication & Mass Media Complete is an index of articles in communication and mass media, communication sciences and disorders. It does include some full text.

ERIC is the source for information on all aspects of education for all age groups, including counseling, tests, and measurement. ERIC indexes journal articles, books, theses, curriculi, conference papers, standards and guidelines.

The Directory of Open Access Journals aims to be comprehensive and cover all open access scientific and scholarly journals that use a quality control system to guarantee the content. In short a one stop shop for users to Open Access Journals.

• ACL Anthology The ACL Anthology currently hosts 76357 papers on the study of computational linguistics and natural language processing.
• SocArXiv Open archive of the social sciences that provides a free, non-profit, open access platform for social scientists to upload working papers, preprints, and published papers, with the option to link data and code. SocArXiv papers are moderated before appearing.
• Glossa The journal is dedicated to general linguistics. It publishes contributions from all areas of linguistics, provided they contain theoretical implications that shed light on the nature of language and the language faculty. Contributions should be of interest to all linguists, independently of their own specialisation.
• International Journal of Bilingualism The International Journal of Bilingualism (IJB) is an international, peer-reviewed, forum for the dissemination of original research on the linguistic, psychological, neurological, and social issues which emerge from language contact. While stressing interdisciplinary links, the focus of the Journal is on the language behavior of the bi- and multilingual individual.
• Journal of Linguistics Journal of Linguistics has as its goal to publish articles that make a clear contribution to current debate in all branches of theoretical linguistics. The journal also provides a survey of recent linguistics publications, with book reviews in each volume and review articles on major works marking important theoretical advances. The journal includes a Notes and Discussion section for briefer contributions to current debate.
• Journal of Memory and Language Articles in the Journal of Memory and Language contribute to the formulation of scientific issues and theories in the areas of memory, language comprehension and production, and cognitive processes. Special emphasis is given to research articles that provide new theoretical insights based on a carefully laid empirical foundation. The journal generally favors articles that provide multiple experiments. In addition, significant theoretical papers without new experimental findings may be published. The Journal of Memory and Language is a valuable tool for cognitive scientists, including psychologists, linguists, and others interested in memory and learning, language, reading, and speech.
• Journal of Phonetics The Journal of Phonetics publishes papers of an experimental or theoretical nature that deal with phonetic aspects of language and linguistic communication processes. Papers dealing with technological and/or pathological topics, or papers of an interdisciplinary nature are also suitable, provided that linguistic-phonetic principles underlie the work reported.
• Journal of Pragmatics The Journal of Pragmatics brings together a wide range of research in pragmatics, including cognitive pragmatics, corpus pragmatics, experimental pragmatics, historical pragmatics, interpersonal pragmatics, multimodal pragmatics, sociopragmatics, theoretical pragmatics and related fields. The Journal of Pragmatics also encourages work that uses attested language data to explore the relationship between pragmatics and neighbouring research areas such as semantics, discourse analysis, conversation analysis and ethnomethodology, interactional linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, media studies, psychology, sociology, and the philosophy of language.
• Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research JSLHR publishes peer-reviewed research and other scholarly articles on the normal and disordered processes in speech, language, hearing, and related areas such as cognition, oral-motor function, and swallowing. The journal is an international outlet for both basic research on communication processes and clinical research pertaining to screening, diagnosis, and management of communication disorders as well as the etiologies and characteristics of these disorders. JSLHR seeks to advance evidence-based practice by disseminating the results of new studies as well as providing a forum for critical reviews and meta-analyses of previously published work.
• Language Language, the flagship journal of the Linguistic Society of America, publishes peer-reviewed articles dealing with issues in linguistic theory and a wide range of subfields of linguistics and related disciplines, as well as book reviews, notes of interest to the academic and professional linguistics community, and commentary of various kinds.
• Language Acquisition Language Acquisition is an interdisciplinary journal serving the fields of first and second language acquisition. Research published in the journal addresses theoretical questions about language acquisition and language development from a variety of perspectives and a variety of methodological approaches.
• Language and Education Research on theory, practice, curricula, pedagogy and evaluation to improve learning and literacy outcomes in mother tongue and second-language education.
• Language in Society Language in Society is an international journal of sociolinguistics concerned with language and discourse as aspects of social life. The journal publishes empirical articles of general theoretical, comparative or methodological interest to students and scholars in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and related fields. Language in Society aims to strengthen international scholarship and interdisciplinary conversation and cooperation among researchers interested in language and society by publishing work of high quality which speaks to a wide audience.
• Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism LAB is an international peer-reviewed journal which provides an outlet for cutting-edge studies on linguistic aspects of bilingualism. LAB assumes a broad definition of bilingualism, including work on: adult L2 acquisition/processing, simultaneous child bilingualism, child L2 acquisition/processing, adult and child heritage language bilingualism, L1 attrition in L2/Ln environments, and adult/child L3/Ln acquisition/processing. LAB publishes original research with a linguistic focus on the understanding of bilingual language acquisition and processing and the effects bilingualism has on cognition and the brain.
• Linguistic Inquiry Linguistic Inquiry leads the field in research on current topics in linguistics. This key resource explores new theoretical developments based on the latest international scholarship, capturing the excitement of contemporary debate in full-scale articles as well as shorter contributions (Squibs and Discussion) and more extensive commentary (Remarks and Replies).
• The Modern Language Journal The editorial mission of The Modern Language Journal is to publish “research and discussion about the learning and teaching of foreign and second languages.” The MLJ is an international refereed journal that is dedicated to promoting scholarly exchange among researchers and teachers of all modern foreign languages and English as a second language. The journal is particularly committed to publishing high quality work in non-English languages. Its publication focus is further defined by linking the findings of research to teaching and learning in a variety of settings and on all educational levels.
• Phonology Phonology is the only journal devoted to all aspects of the discipline, and provides a unique forum for the productive interchange of ideas among phonologists and those working in related disciplines.
• Syntax Syntax publishes a wide range of articles on the syntax of natural languages and closely related fields. The journal promotes work on formal syntactic theory and theoretically-oriented descriptive work on particular languages and comparative grammar. Syntax also publishes research on the interfaces between syntax and related fields such as semantics, morphology, and phonology, as well as theoretical and experimental studies in sentence processing, language acquisition, and other areas of psycholinguistics that bear on syntactic theories.
• TESOL Quarterly TESOL Quarterly, a professional, refereed journal. The Quarterly publishes articles on topics of signficance to individuals concerned with English language teaching and learning and standard English as a second dialect.
• Theoretical Linguistics Theoretical Linguistics is an open peer review journal. Each issue contains one long target article about a topic of general linguistic interest, together with several shorter reactions, comments and reflections on it. With this format, the journal aims to stimulate discussion in linguistics and adjacent fields of study, in particular across schools of different theoretical orientations.

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211 Research Topics in Linguistics To Get Top Grades

Many people find it hard to decide on their linguistics research topics because of the assumed complexities involved. They struggle to choose easy research paper topics for English language too because they think it could be too simple for a university or college level certificate.

All that you need to learn about Linguistics and English is sprawled across syntax, phonetics, morphology, phonology, semantics, grammar, vocabulary, and a few others. To easily create a top-notch essay or conduct a research study, you can consider this list of research topics in English language below for your university or college use. Note that you can fine-tune these to suit your interests.

Linguistics Research Paper Topics

If you want to study how language is applied and its importance in the world, you can consider these Linguistics topics for your research paper. They are:

• An analysis of romantic ideas and their expression amongst French people
• An overview of the hate language in the course against religion
• Identify the determinants of hate language and the means of propagation
• Evaluate a literature and examine how Linguistics is applied to the understanding of minor languages
• Consider the impact of social media in the development of slangs
• An overview of political slang and its use amongst New York teenagers
• Examine the relevance of Linguistics in a digitalized world
• Analyze foul language and how it’s used to oppress minors
• Identify the role of language in the national identity of a socially dynamic society
• Attempt an explanation to how the language barrier could affect the social life of an individual in a new society
• Discuss the means through which language can enrich cultural identities
• Examine the concept of bilingualism and how it applies in the real world
• Analyze the possible strategies for teaching a foreign language
• Discuss the priority of teachers in the teaching of grammar to non-native speakers
• Choose a school of your choice and observe the slang used by its students: analyze how it affects their social lives
• Attempt a critical overview of racist languages
• What does endangered language means and how does it apply in the real world?
• A critical overview of your second language and why it is a second language
• What are the motivators of speech and why are they relevant?
• Analyze the difference between the different types of communications and their significance to specially-abled persons
• Give a critical overview of five literature on sign language
• Evaluate the distinction between the means of language comprehension between an adult and a teenager
• Consider a native American group and evaluate how cultural diversity has influenced their language
• Analyze the complexities involved in code-switching and code-mixing
• Give a critical overview of the importance of language to a teenager
• Attempt a forensic overview of language accessibility and what it means
• What do you believe are the means of communications and what are their uniqueness?
• Attempt a study of Islamic poetry and its role in language development
• Attempt a study on the role of Literature in language development
• Evaluate the Influence of metaphors and other literary devices in the depth of each sentence
• Identify the role of literary devices in the development of proverbs in any African country
• Cognitive Linguistics: analyze two pieces of Literature that offers a critical view of perception
• Identify and analyze the complexities in unspoken words
• Expression is another kind of language: discuss
• Identify the significance of symbols in the evolution of language
• Discuss how learning more than a single language promote cross-cultural developments
• Analyze how the loss of a mother tongue affect the language Efficiency of a community
• Critically examine how sign language works
• Using literature from the medieval era, attempt a study of the evolution of language
• Identify how wars have led to the reduction in the popularity of a language of your choice across any country of the world
• Critically examine five Literature on why accent changes based on environment
• What are the forces that compel the comprehension of language in a child
• Identify and explain the difference between the listening and speaking skills and their significance in the understanding of language
• Give a critical overview of how natural language is processed
• Examine the influence of language on culture and vice versa
• It is possible to understand a language even without living in that society: discuss
• Identify the arguments regarding speech defects
• Discuss how the familiarity of language informs the creation of slangs
• Explain the significance of religious phrases and sacred languages
• Explore the roots and evolution of incantations in Africa

Sociolinguistic Research Topics

You may as well need interesting Linguistics topics based on sociolinguistic purposes for your research. Sociolinguistics is the study and recording of natural speech. It’s primarily the casual status of most informal conversations. You can consider the following Sociolinguistic research topics for your research:

• What makes language exceptional to a particular person?
• How does language form a unique means of expression to writers?
• Examine the kind of speech used in health and emergencies
• Analyze the language theory explored by family members during dinner
• Evaluate the possible variation of language based on class
• Evaluate the language of racism, social tension, and sexism
• Discuss how Language promotes social and cultural familiarities
• Give an overview of identity and language
• Examine why some language speakers enjoy listening to foreigners who speak their native language
• Give a forensic analysis of his the language of entertainment is different to the language in professional settings
• Give an understanding of how Language changes
• Examine the Sociolinguistics of the Caribbeans
• Consider an overview of metaphor in France
• Explain why the direct translation of written words is incomprehensible in Linguistics
• Discuss the use of language in marginalizing a community
• Analyze the history of Arabic and the culture that enhanced it
• Discuss the growth of French and the influences of other languages
• Examine how the English language developed and its interdependence on other languages
• Give an overview of cultural diversity and Linguistics in teaching
• Challenge the attachment of speech defect with disability of language listening and speaking abilities
• Explore the uniqueness of language between siblings
• Explore the means of making requests between a teenager and his parents
• Observe and comment on how students relate with their teachers through language
• Observe and comment on the communication of strategy of parents and teachers
• Examine the connection of understanding first language with academic excellence

Language Research Topics

Numerous languages exist in different societies. This is why you may seek to understand the motivations behind language through these Linguistics project ideas. You can consider the following interesting Linguistics topics and their application to language:

• What does language shift mean?
• Discuss the stages of English language development?
• Examine the position of ambiguity in a romantic Language of your choice
• Why are some languages called romantic languages?
• Observe the strategies of persuasion through Language
• Discuss the connection between symbols and words
• Identify the language of political speeches
• Discuss the effectiveness of language in an indigenous cultural revolution
• Trace the motivators for spoken language
• What does language acquisition mean to you?
• Examine three pieces of literature on language translation and its role in multilingual accessibility
• Identify the science involved in language reception
• Interrogate with the context of language disorders
• Examine how psychotherapy applies to victims of language disorders
• Study the growth of Hindi despite colonialism
• Critically appraise the term, language erasure
• Examine how colonialism and war is responsible for the loss of language
• Give an overview of the difference between sounds and letters and how they apply to the German language
• Explain why the placement of verb and preposition is different in German and English languages
• Choose two languages of your choice and examine their historical relationship
• Discuss the strategies employed by people while learning new languages
• Discuss the role of all the figures of speech in the advancement of language
• Analyze the complexities of autism and its victims
• Offer a linguist approach to language uniqueness between a Down Syndrome child and an autist
• Express dance as a language
• Express music as a language
• Express language as a form of language
• Evaluate the role of cultural diversity in the decline of languages in South Africa
• Discuss the development of the Greek language
• Critically review two literary texts, one from the medieval era and another published a decade ago, and examine the language shifts

Linguistics Essay Topics

You may also need Linguistics research topics for your Linguistics essays. As a linguist in the making, these can help you consider controversies in Linguistics as a discipline and address them through your study. You can consider:

• The connection of sociolinguistics in comprehending interests in multilingualism
• Write on your belief of how language encourages sexism
• What do you understand about the differences between British and American English?
• Discuss how slangs grew and how they started
• Consider how age leads to loss of language
• Review how language is used in formal and informal conversation
• Discuss what you understand by polite language
• Discuss what you know by hate language
• Evaluate how language has remained flexible throughout history
• Mimicking a teacher is a form of exercising hate Language: discuss
• Body Language and verbal speech are different things: discuss
• Language can be exploitative: discuss
• Do you think language is responsible for inciting aggression against the state?
• Can you justify the structural representation of any symbol of your choice?
• Religious symbols are not ordinary Language: what are your perspective on day-to-day languages and sacred ones?
• Consider the usage of language by an English man and someone of another culture
• Discuss the essence of code-mixing and code-switching
• Attempt a psychological assessment on the role of language in academic development
• How does language pose a challenge to studying?
• Choose a multicultural society of your choice and explain the problem they face
• What forms does Language use in expression?
• Identify the reasons behind unspoken words and actions
• Why do universal languages exist as a means of easy communication?
• Examine the role of the English language in the world
• Examine the role of Arabic in the world
• Examine the role of romantic languages in the world
• Evaluate the significance of each teaching Resources in a language classroom
• Consider an assessment of language analysis
• Why do people comprehend beyond what is written or expressed?
• What is the impact of hate speech on a woman?
• Do you believe that grammatical errors are how everyone’s comprehension of language is determined?
• Observe the Influence of technology in language learning and development
• Which parts of the body are responsible for understanding new languages
• How has language informed development?
• Would you say language has improved human relations or worsened it considering it as a tool for violence?
• Would you say language in a black populous state is different from its social culture in white populous states?
• Give an overview of the English language in Nigeria
• Give an overview of the English language in Uganda
• Give an overview of the English language in India
• Give an overview of Russian in Europe
• Give a conceptual analysis on stress and how it works
• Consider the means of vocabulary development and its role in cultural relationships
• Examine the effects of Linguistics in language
• Present your understanding of sign language
• What do you understand about descriptive language and prescriptive Language?

List of Research Topics in English Language

You may need English research topics for your next research. These are topics that are socially crafted for you as a student of language in any institution. You can consider the following for in-depth analysis:

• Examine the travail of women in any feminist text of your choice
• Examine the movement of feminist literature in the Industrial period
• Give an overview of five Gothic literature and what you understand from them
• Examine rock music and how it emerged as a genre
• Evaluate the cultural association with Nina Simone’s music
• What is the relevance of Shakespeare in English literature?
• How has literature promoted the English language?
• Identify the effect of spelling errors in the academic performance of students in an institution of your choice
• Critically survey a university and give rationalize the literary texts offered as Significant
• Examine the use of feminist literature in advancing the course against patriarchy
• Give an overview of the themes in William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”
• Express the significance of Ernest Hemingway’s diction in contemporary literature
• Examine the predominant devices in the works of William Shakespeare
• Explain the predominant devices in the works of Christopher Marlowe
• Charles Dickens and his works: express the dominating themes in his Literature
• Why is Literature described as the mirror of society?
• Examine the issues of feminism in Sefi Atta’s “Everything Good Will Come” and Bernadine Evaristos’s “Girl, Woman, Other”
• Give an overview of the stylistics employed in the writing of “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernadine Evaristo
• Describe the language of advertisement in social media and newspapers
• Describe what poetic Language means
• Examine the use of code-switching and code-mixing on Mexican Americans
• Examine the use of code-switching and code-mixing in Indian Americans
• Discuss the influence of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” on satirical literature
• Examine the Linguistics features of “Native Son” by Richard Wright
• What is the role of indigenous literature in promoting cultural identities
• How has literature informed cultural consciousness?
• Analyze five literature on semantics and their Influence on the study
• Assess the role of grammar in day to day communications
• Observe the role of multidisciplinary approaches in understanding the English language
• What does stylistics mean while analyzing medieval literary texts?
• Analyze the views of philosophers on language, society, and culture

English Research Paper Topics for College Students

For your college work, you may need to undergo a study of any phenomenon in the world. Note that they could be Linguistics essay topics or mainly a research study of an idea of your choice. Thus, you can choose your research ideas from any of the following:

• The concept of fairness in a democratic Government
• The capacity of a leader isn’t in his or her academic degrees
• The concept of discrimination in education
• The theory of discrimination in Islamic states
• The idea of school policing
• A study on grade inflation and its consequences
• A study of taxation and Its importance to the economy from a citizen’s perspectives
• A study on how eloquence lead to discrimination amongst high school students
• A study of the influence of the music industry in teens
• An Evaluation of pornography and its impacts on College students
• A descriptive study of how the FBI works according to Hollywood
• A critical consideration of the cons and pros of vaccination
• The health effect of sleep disorders
• An overview of three literary texts across three genres of Literature and how they connect to you
• A critical overview of “King Oedipus”: the role of the supernatural in day to day life
• Examine the novel “12 Years a Slave” as a reflection of servitude and brutality exerted by white slave owners
• Rationalize the emergence of racist Literature with concrete examples
• A study of the limits of literature in accessing rural readers
• Analyze the perspectives of modern authors on the Influence of medieval Literature on their craft
• What do you understand by the mortality of a literary text?
• A study of controversial Literature and its role in shaping the discussion
• A critical overview of three literary texts that dealt with domestic abuse and their role in changing the narratives about domestic violence
• Choose three contemporary poets and analyze the themes of their works
• Do you believe that contemporary American literature is the repetition of unnecessary themes already treated in the past?
• A study of the evolution of Literature and its styles
• The use of sexual innuendos in literature
• The use of sexist languages in literature and its effect on the public
• The disaster associated with media reports of fake news
• Conduct a study on how language is used as a tool for manipulation
• Attempt a criticism of a controversial Literary text and why it shouldn’t be studied or sold in the first place

Finding Linguistics Hard To Write About?

With these topics, you can commence your research with ease. However, if you need professional writing help for any part of the research, you can scout here online for the best research paper writing service.

There are several expert writers on ENL hosted on our website that you can consider for a fast response on your research study at a cheap price.

As students, you may be unable to cover every part of your research on your own. This inability is the reason you should consider expert writers for custom research topics in Linguistics approved by your professor for high grades.

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Pedagogical Explorations: Digital “Baybayin” and Cultural Narratives in the Post-Pandemic College Techscape

Pedagogical explorations.

• Edgar R. Eslit [email protected] St. Michael's College

This study investigates the significance of Digital “Baybayin”  and cultural narratives in Philippine higher education, focusing on its role in preserving Filipino cultural heritage amidst post-pandemic challenges. Employing qualitative methods and guided by theoretical frameworks on Cultural Identity Theory,  Technology Acceptance Model, and Community of Inquiry Framework, the research examines how traditional cultural narratives encoded in “Baybayin”  scripts are transmitted and interpreted through digital tools, revitalizing them in modern contexts. Thematic analysis identifies significant themes: Identity Formation, as Digital “Baybayin”  enhances cultural identity and pride among students and educators; Digital Literacy, fostering competence in utilizing digital tools for cultural preservation; Interdisciplinary Approaches, highlighting collaborative efforts across disciplines to integrate “Baybayin”  into curricula; and Future Directions, emphasizing ongoing research into digital pedagogies and community engagement for sustainable cultural revitalization. Further, findings underscore the transformative impact of integrating “Baybayin” into higher education curricula, enhancing cultural literacy and identity. Recommendations advocate for enhancing digital literacy, fostering community engagement, and promoting transdisciplinary approaches to deepen understanding of “Baybayin” and cultural narratives in educational settings. Theoretical insights and practical considerations advance future research directions, emphasizing the integration of “Baybayin” into curricula and exploring digital pedagogies to strengthen cultural connections in the post-pandemic college techscape.   

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New transistor’s superlative properties could have broad electronics applications

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In 2021, a team led by MIT physicists reported creating a new ultrathin ferroelectric material, or one where positive and negative charges separate into different layers. At the time they noted the material’s potential for applications in computer memory and much more. Now the same core team and colleagues — including two from the lab next door — have built a transistor with that material and shown that its properties are so useful that it could change the world of electronics.

Although the team’s results are based on a single transistor in the lab, “in several aspects its properties already meet or exceed industry standards” for the ferroelectric transistors produced today, says Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, who led the work with professor of physics Raymond Ashoori. Both are also affiliated with the Materials Research Laboratory.

“In my lab we primarily do fundamental physics. This is one of the first, and perhaps most dramatic, examples of how very basic science has led to something that could have a major impact on applications,” Jarillo-Herrero says.

Says Ashoori, “When I think of my whole career in physics, this is the work that I think 10 to 20 years from now could change the world.”

Among the new transistor’s superlative properties:

• It can switch between positive and negative charges — essentially the ones and zeros of digital information — at very high speeds, on nanosecond time scales. (A nanosecond is a billionth of a second.)
• It is extremely tough. After 100 billion switches it still worked with no signs of degradation.
• The material behind the magic is only billionths of a meter thick, one of the thinnest of its kind in the world. That, in turn, could allow for much denser computer memory storage. It could also lead to much more energy-efficient transistors because the voltage required for switching scales with material thickness. (Ultrathin equals ultralow voltages.)

The work is reported in a  recent issue of Science . The co-first authors of the paper are Kenji Yasuda, now an assistant professor at Cornell University, and Evan Zalys-Geller, now at Atom Computing. Additional authors are Xirui Wang, an MIT graduate student in physics; Daniel Bennett and Efthimios Kaxiras of Harvard University; Suraj S. Cheema, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and an affiliate of the Research Laboratory of Electronics; and Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi of the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan.

What they did

In a ferroelectric material, positive and negative charges spontaneously head to different sides, or poles. Upon the application of an external electric field, those charges switch sides, reversing the polarization. Switching the polarization can be used to encode digital information, and that information will be nonvolatile, or stable over time. It won’t change unless an electric field is applied. For a ferroelectric to have broad application to electronics, all of this needs to happen at room temperature.

The new ferroelectric material  reported in Science in 2021 is based on atomically thin sheets of boron nitride that are stacked parallel to each other, a configuration that doesn’t exist in nature. In bulk boron nitride, the individual layers of boron nitride are instead rotated by 180 degrees.

It turns out that when an electric field is applied to this parallel stacked configuration, one layer of the new boron nitride material slides over the other, slightly changing the positions of the boron and nitrogen atoms. For example, imagine that each of your hands is composed of only one layer of cells. The new phenomenon is akin to pressing your hands together then slightly shifting one above the other.

“So the miracle is that by sliding the two layers a few angstroms, you end up with radically different electronics,” says Ashoori. The diameter of an atom is about 1 angstrom.

Another miracle: “nothing wears out in the sliding,” Ashoori continues. That’s why the new transistor could be switched 100 billion times without degrading. Compare that to the memory in a flash drive made with conventional materials. “Each time you write and erase a flash memory, you get some degradation,” says Ashoori. “Over time, it wears out, which means that you have to use some very sophisticated methods for distributing where you’re reading and writing on the chip.” The new material could make those steps obsolete.

A collaborative effort

Yasuda, the co-first author of the current Science paper, applauds the collaborations involved in the work. Among them, “we [Jarillo-Herrero’s team] made the material and, together with Ray [Ashoori] and [co-first author] Evan [Zalys-Geller], we measured its characteristics in detail. That was very exciting.” Says Ashoori, “many of the techniques in my lab just naturally applied to work that was going on in the lab next door. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Ashoori notes that “there’s a lot of interesting physics behind this” that could be explored. For example, “if you think about the two layers sliding past each other, where does that sliding start?” In addition, says Yasuda, could the ferroelectricity be triggered with something other than electricity, like an optical pulse? And is there a fundamental limit to the amount of switches the material can make?

Challenges remain. For example, the current way of producing the new ferroelectrics is difficult and not conducive to mass manufacturing. “We made a single transistor as a demonstration. If people could grow these materials on the wafer scale, we could create many, many more,” says Yasuda. He notes that different groups are already working to that end.

Concludes Ashoori, “There are a few problems. But if you solve them, this material fits in so many ways into potential future electronics. It’s very exciting.”

This work was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office, the MIT/Microsystems Technology Laboratories Samsung Semiconductor Research Fund, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Ramon Areces Foundation, the Basic Energy Sciences program of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.

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University's counterintelligence work earns federal award

In June, Virginia Tech was among five out of more than 10,000 eligible organizations in the United States to receive the 2023 Jack Donnelly Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence.

• Travis Williams

23 Jul 2024

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For the second time in five years, Virginia Tech has been recognized by a federal agency for its prominent role in the nation’s counterintelligence efforts. 

In June, the university was among five out of more than 10,000 eligible organizations in the United States to receive the 2023 Jack Donnelly Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence. Given out annually by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, the award recognizes companies and institutions with the best counterintelligence results and cooperation in support of the U.S. government’s efforts to detect and stop foreign entities from stealing national security information. 

“This award is validation that what we’re doing matters and is working,” said John Talerico III, director of the Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance and university facility security officer. “Our processes are not only helping to protect our personnel and intellectual property, but ultimately helping to protect our country.”

Virginia Tech previously received this award , then called the Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence, in 2018 and twice earned the Defense Counterintelligence and Security’s other prestigious award - the James S. Cogswell Award for Outstanding Industrial Security – in 2016 and 2020.

“We have worked hard to earn a national reputation for our universitywide commitment to supporting the counterintelligence community,” said Dan Sui, Virginia Tech’s senior vice president and chief research and innovation officer. “This award further reflects that as well as our robust security and counterintelligence programs and deep collaborations with government partners.”

The Donnelly Award reflects the valued partnerships Virginia Tech maintains with the intelligence community, including agencies such as the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, FBI, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Such relationships have been key to the development of the university’s robust suspicious contact reporting program and researchers across the university contributing their expertise to the national security landscape. 

“I want everyone at Virginia Tech to understand this award is theirs,” Talerico said. “None of this happens without them working with us and our researchers’ willingness to provide feedback and insights from their particular areas of expertise.”

In addition to the reporting program Virginia Tech has instilled, Talerico said the Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance’s ongoing education and outreach efforts also play a critical role in this effort. Since January 2023, more than 740 individuals have attended one of the 30 education sessions required biannually for faculty, staff, and students to take part in restricted research and many others have taken part in in-person or online courses, events, and individual meetings related to counterintelligence topics. 

“We’re keeping up with the national landscape, what’s happening on the legislative end, and what’s impacting our ability to do our jobs in the research security space at large,” Talerico said. “We’ve tried to put together a good playbook for our folks to follow and we’re here to help every step of the way.”

On July 29, the office will take another step in advancing this effort by hosting a briefing with Luke Baxter, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency’s cyber counterintelligence special agent for the mid-Atlantic region. During the 60-minute session, Baxter will discuss emerging cyber threats and their counterintelligence implications, including artificial intelligence, big data surveillance, post-quantum cryptography, and the increasing vulnerability of personal electronic devices.

The event is open to the Virginia Tech community and is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. in Room 1032 of Research Building 1311, located at 1311 Research Center Drive in Blacksburg. Both in-person and virtual participants should pre-register.

Talerico said the event is hoped to be the first of a series of similar sessions that will take place throughout the coming academic year. To learn more about these events or the Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance in general, visit the office’s website .

Lindsey Haugh

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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scientists Find Intriguing Mars Rock

NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered “leopard spots” on a reddish rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” in Mars’ Jezero Crater in July 2024. Scientists think the spots may indicate that, billions of years ago, the chemical reactions in this rock could have supported microbial life; other explanations are being considered.

An annotated version of the image of “Cheyava Falls” indicates the markings akin to leopard spots, which have particularly captivated scientists, and the olivine in the rock. The image was captured by the WATSON instrument on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on July 18.

The six-wheeled geologist found a fascinating rock that has some indications it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago, but further research is needed.

A vein-filled rock is catching the eye of the science team of NASA’s Perseverance rover. Nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” by the team, the arrowhead-shaped rock contains fascinating traits that may bear on the question of whether Mars was home to microscopic life in the distant past.

Analysis by instruments aboard the rover indicates the rock possesses qualities that fit the definition of a possible indicator of ancient life. The rock exhibits chemical signatures and structures that could possibly have been formed by life billions of years ago when the area being explored by the rover contained running water. Other explanations for the observed features are being considered by the science team, and future research steps will be required to determine whether ancient life is a valid explanation.

The rock — the rover’s 22nd rock core sample — was collected on July 21, as the rover explored the northern edge of Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley measuring a quarter-mile (400 meters) wide that was carved by water rushing into Jezero Crater long ago.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie, made up of 62 individual images, on July 23. A rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls,” which has features that may bear on the question of whether the Red Planet was long ago home to microscopic life, is to the left of the rover near the center of the image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Full Image Details

“Cheyava Falls” (left) shows the dark hole where NASA’s Perseverance took a core sample; the white patch is where the rover abraded the rock to investigate its composition. A rock nicknamed “Steamboat Mountain” (right) also shows an abrasion patch. This image was taken by Mastcam-Z on July 23.

NASA’s Perseverance used its Mastcam-Z instrument to view the “Cheyava Falls” rock sample within the rover’s drill bit. Scientists believe markings on the rock contain fascinating traits that may bear on the question of whether Mars was home to microscopic life in the distant past.

“We have designed the route for Perseverance to ensure that it goes to areas with the potential for interesting scientific samples,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This trip through the Neretva Vallis riverbed paid off as we found something we’ve never seen before, which will give our scientists so much to study.”

Multiple scans of Cheyava Falls by the rover’s SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument indicate it contains organic compounds. While such carbon-based molecules are considered the building blocks of life, they also can be formed by non-biological processes.

NASA’s Perseverance rover used its Mastcam-Z instrument to capture this 360-degree panorama of a region on Mars called “Bright Angel,” where an ancient river flowed billions of years ago. “Cheyava Falls” was discovered in the area slightly right of center, about 361 feet (110 meters) from the rover.

“Cheyava Falls is the most puzzling, complex, and potentially important rock yet investigated by Perseverance,” said Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist of Caltech in Pasadena. “On the one hand, we have our first compelling detection of organic material, distinctive colorful spots indicative of chemical reactions that microbial life could use as an energy source, and clear evidence that water — necessary for life — once passed through the rock. On the other hand, we have been unable to determine exactly how the rock formed and to what extent nearby rocks may have heated Cheyava Falls and contributed to these features.”

Other details about the rock, which measures 3.2 feet by 2 feet (1 meter by 0.6 meters) and was named after a Grand Canyon waterfall, have intrigued the team, as well.

As shown in this graphic, astrobiologists catalog a seven-step scale, called the CoLD (Confidence of Life Detection) scale, to research whether a sample could indicate life. This “Cheyava Falls” sample is an example of Step One: “Detect possible signal.” Much additional research must be conducted to learn more.

How Rocks Get Their Spots

In its search for signs of ancient microbial life, the Perseverance mission has focused on rocks that may have been created or modified long ago by the presence of water. That’s why the team homed in on Cheyava Falls.

“This is the kind of key observation that SHERLOC was built for — to seek organic matter as it is an essential component of a search for past life,” said SHERLOC’s principal investigator Kevin Hand of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission.

Running the length of the rock are large white calcium sulfate veins. Between those veins are bands of material whose reddish color suggests the presence of hematite, one of the minerals that gives Mars its distinctive rusty hue.

When Perseverance took a closer look at these red regions, it found dozens of irregularly shaped, millimeter-size off-white splotches, each ringed with black material, akin to leopard spots. Perseverance’s PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) instrument has determined these black halos contain both iron and phosphate.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has made very compelling observations in a Martian rock that, with further study, could prove that life was present on Mars in the distant past — but how can we determine that from a rock, and what do we need to do to confirm it? Morgan Cable, a scientist on the Perseverance team, takes a closer look.

“These spots are a big surprise,” said David Flannery, an astrobiologist and member of the Perseverance science team from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. “On Earth, these types of features in rocks are often associated with the fossilized record of microbes living in the subsurface.”

Spotting of this type on sedimentary terrestrial rocks can occur when chemical reactions involving hematite turn the rock from red to white. Those reactions can also release iron and phosphate, possibly causing the black halos to form. Reactions of this type can be an energy source for microbes, explaining the association between such features and microbes in a terrestrial setting.

We've Got Some Space for You

In one scenario the Perseverance science team is considering, Cheyava Falls was initially deposited as mud with organic compounds mixed in that eventually cemented into rock. Later, a second episode of fluid flow penetrated fissures in the rock, enabling mineral deposits that created the large white calcium sulfate veins seen today and resulting in the spots.

Another Puzzle Piece

While both the organic matter and the leopard spots are of great interest, they aren’t the only aspects of the Cheyava Falls rock confounding the science team. They were surprised to find that these veins are filled with millimeter-size crystals of olivine, a mineral that forms from magma. The olivine might be related to rocks that were formed farther up the rim of the river valley and that may have been produced by crystallization of magma.

If so, the team has another question to answer: Could the olivine and sulfate have been introduced to the rock at uninhabitably high temperatures, creating an abiotic chemical reaction that resulted in the leopard spots?

“We have zapped that rock with lasers and X-rays and imaged it literally day and night from just about every angle imaginable,” said Farley. “Scientifically, Perseverance has nothing more to give. To fully understand what really happened in that Martian river valley at Jezero Crater billions of years ago, we’d want to bring the Cheyava Falls sample back to Earth, so it can be studied with the powerful instruments available in laboratories.”

More Mission Information

A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology , including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and as the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

NASA's Mars Sample Return Program, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), is designed to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

For more about Perseverance:

science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance

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