Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguists (experts in linguistics) work on specific languages, but their primary goal is to understand the nature of language in general by asking questions such as:
…What distinguishes human language from other animal communication systems?
…What features are common to all human languages?
…How are the modes of linguistic communication (speech, writing, sign language) related to each other?
…How is language related to other types of human behavior?