Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Language is a human behavior, a product of the human brain. It is used for social purposes, and can be acquired by human children and adults. Languages are also a community's means of communication - they change over time, and today, they are increasingly becoming endangered and dying. The subfields of linguistics are dedicated to understanding and explaining these aspects of language.Knowledge about language is more important here than in most places in the country, because of the State's unique diversity of languages - hundreds of languages from all over the world are spoken here.Languages are closely tied to cultural, geographic, and ethnic identity, issues that are central to Hawai'i's education and politics.While the Department of Linguistics does not offer a prescribed undergraduate Linguistics major, students may major in Linguistics for the B.A. degree at UH Manoa through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. Students majoring in Linguistics through Interdisciplinary Studies have the opportunity to create a unique program tailored to his or her own individual interests. In this program, students create for themselves a ''major equivalent'', a coherent program of courses that is academically equivalent to a conventional major, with the guidance of two faculty advisors: one in Linguistics, who helps you select the right courses for your purposes, and the other in Interdisciplinary Studies, who assists with the overall plan for your B.A. To earn a B.A. in Linguistics through Interdisciplinary Studies, you must be enrolled in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences.