Linguistics

LINGUISTICS

Chair: John S. Robertson
Graduate Coordinator: Lynn E. Henrichsen
2129 JKHB
Provo, UT 84602-6278
(801) 378-2937

THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES

The Department of Linguistics has two primary academic thrusts: a master's program in linguistics and a master's program in teaching English as a second language (TESL). The graduate programs have seen constant growth over the years, partly owing to the intrinsic interest that the study of language holds, and especially because of the unrelenting, worldwide demand for learning English as a second language. The two departmental emphases are complementary in the sense that one emphasizes the linguistic theory and the other focuses on applications of linguistic theory, especially with regard to language learning.

The direction of the department has been constant over the past years: to provide professional training not only in linguistic theory but also in applications of that theory, with a special emphasis on teaching English.

Two degrees and one certificate are offered through the Department of Linguistics: Linguistics—MA; TESL Graduate Certificate; and TESL—MA.

In addition to the above, the department is responsible for the following academic programs: Native American Languages, Austronesian Languages, Welsh, and American Sign Language.

Linguistics—MA

The purpose of the linguistics MA program is closely related to the department's definition of linguistics, which is the scientific study of language. The program aims to prepare the student to become a professional, prepared to go on to a PhD program if desired, or to go into the world as a competent practitioner of the skills expected of a linguist. A more applied, but popular emphasis in the department is a track that combines linguistic with computer skills. The education received includes such skills as analyzing language in its phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. It also introduces the student to such fields as sociolinguistics, anthropological
linguistics, and especially computers and language if the student chooses to take that track. There are currently fourteen graduate students enrolled. Students average 3.4 years for completion.

Admission and Entry.

• Semesters of entry and application deadlines: fall, spring, summer; February 1 (U.S. and international).
• Entrance examinations: for international applicants, the Departmental English Proficiency Exam and TOEFL, with a minimum score of 580.
• Prerequisite: Ling 330; high- competency (301 level or higher) in one foreign language, plus 12 credit hours in a second foreign language (one of these foreign languages must be non-Indo-European) or 12 credit hours in approved computer science courses; ESL 404 is required of all nonnative English speakers.

Requirements for Degree.

• Credit hours (30): minimum 24 course work hours plus 6 thesis hours (Ling 699R).
• Required courses: Ling 450, 500, 521, 535, 540, 550, 630, 690, 699R, plus one 321-level foreign language class.
• Thesis.
• Examinations: oral defense of thesis (consult department for details).

TESL—Graduate Certificate

The TESL Certificate (which differs from the state teacher certification) prepares the graduate to move into the TESL profession. There are currently twenty-one graduate students in the TESL Certificate Program. The average time for completion is 1.2 years.

The graduate TESL program has been accepted by the Utah Board of Education as an accredited teaching major or minor for secondary education students. Those who have completed student teaching in an area other than ESL are still required to complete 2 hours of student teaching in English as Second Language (Ling 579).

Admission and Entry.

• Semesters of entry and application deadlines: fall, spring, summer; February 1 (U.S. and international).
• Entrance examinations: for non-
  native speakers of English: TOEFL, with a minimum score of 580; Departmental English Proficiency Exam. Any deficiencies in English skills must be remedied to the satisfaction of the department before moving into the TESL program.
• Prerequisite: Ling 230; ESL 404 is prerequisite for all nonnative English speakers. Both Ling 230 and ESL 404 should be completed before or during the first semester of course work.

Requirements for Certificate.

• Credit hours: minimum 18 course work hours after 3-6 prerequisite hours.
• Required courses: Ling 577, 579.
• Electives: 12 hours from Ling 500, 525, 531, 540, 555, 565R, 572, 641, 660, 677, 678.

Teaching English as a Second Language—MA

The master's program in TESL has as its overall goal the preparation of students to become professionals in the field of English as a second language. Such study at the master's level provides appropriate preparation for further study at the PhD level, as well as success in the workaday world of teaching English as a second language. A graduate will be trained in teaching skills, teacher training, testing, writing, teaching reading, and scholarly research and writing. There are currently twenty-three graduate students enrolled, with an approximate average of 2.3 years for completion of the degree, including time in the TESL Certificate Program.

Admission and Entry.

• Application deadlines: application made upon completion of TESL Certificate (see below).
• Application requirements: applicants must petition the department and be accepted by a review board. Students should not register for 600-level course work until notified of acceptance into the MA program.
• Prerequisite: completion of graduate TESL Certificate; intermediate-level proficiency in a modern foreign language (language courses may be taken concurrently with ESL graduate courses); Ling 500 and acceptance of thesis prospectus; and evidence of graduate-level writing skills.

Requirements for Degree.

• Credit hours (37): minimum 31 hours (including 18 hours from TESL Certificate) plus 6 thesis hours (Ling 699R).
• Required courses: Ling 540, 600, 695.
• Electives: 6 hours chosen from Ling 420, 521, 525, 531, 535, 550, 551, 555, 565R, 571, 572, 600, 641, 677, 678, 679, Engl 529.
• Thesis.
• Final oral examination: defense of thesis.

Secondary Education Teaching Major*

Ling 230 or Engl 223, Ling 531, 540, 572, 577, and 18 hours from Ling 431, 500, 525, 550, 555, 571, 660, 677, 678, 679, 695, Engl 529.

Secondary Education Teaching Minor*

Ling 230, 330, 531, 540, 572, 577.

*For graduate students who are certifying to teach in public schools.

For a more detailed description of the graduate program requirements, send for a copy of the department's bulletin.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Financial assistance has been increasing over the past several years, particularly in the form of tuition and partial tuition waivers. One of the benefits that comes to both linguistics and TESL majors is the fact that many professors use research assistants, who at the present time number about fourteen. Also, unique to the department for those majoring in TESL is the opportunity to become a teaching assistant or part-time teacher at the English Language Center, where there are about forty part-time teachers.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Class Schedule

500. Research Prospectus Design. (1)

Prerequisite: admission to language acquisition or linguistics MA program; or provisional admission to TESL MA program.

Procedures for developing research projects (including introduction and review of literature for MA thesis). Students may enroll concurrently for up to two hours of Ling 699R (thesis) credit.

521. Phonology. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 330.

Discriminative values of speech sounds: their function in the communicative process. Analysis of phonological data via postulation of underlying forms and derivational rules.

525. Phonology of Modern English. (3)

Detailed phonetic and phonemic study of American English pronunciation, including theories and practices of teaching and acquiring pronunciation. Practicum included.

531. Grammar Usage. (3)

Examining English grammar and usage as they reflect different theories about language description and applying this knowledge in the ESL classroom. Practicum included.

535. Semantics. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 330.

Theory and practice of semantic analysis with special emphasis on Jakobsonian and Peircian semiotics.

540. Language Acquisition. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 330 or equivalent.

First- and second-language acquisition viewed in light of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

545. Psycholinguistics. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 230 or equivalent.

How the mind interprets, stores, retrieves, and produces language. Some examination of anatomical structures and physiological processes of the brain dealing with language.

550. Sociolinguistics. (3)

Research and theory in anthropological linguistics and sociolinguistics.

551. Anthropological Linguistics. (3)

Language in culture and society: development, typology, and description.

555. Teaching Culture. (3)

What culture is, how if affects language learners and teachers, development of U.S. lifestyle patterns. Variety of readings.

558. Historical-Comparative Linguistics. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 450 or equivalent.

Theory and method of language change via comparing daughter languages and reconstructing ancestral languages.

565R. Humanities Computing Project. (1-3)

Prerequisite: instructor's consent.

Major application or research project, working with instructor to do ongoing research or program development.

571. English as a Second Language K-12. (3)

Nature of language acquisition and strategies and materials designed to facilitate second language learning K-12.

572. TESL Reading and Writing. (3)

Nature of the processes involved in reading and writing, with special emphasis on helping ESL students develop these skills. Includes a limited teaching practicum.

577. Introduction to ESL Methodology. (4)

Survey of basic concepts, procedures, and techniques in second language teaching methodology and materials selection. Includes observation of actual ESL classes and a mentored ESL teaching practicum experience.

579. TESL Student Teaching. (2)

Prerequisite: Ling 577 and departmental consent.

580R. Problems in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. (1-3)

Advanced research in language acquisition, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, linguistics field study, applied linguistics.

590R. Readings in Linguistics. (1-3)

Prerequisite: instructor's consent.

Individual study of current linguistic literature. Occasional discussion sessions with instructor and other class members. Pass-fail grade only.

599R. Cooperative Education. (1-9)

On-the-job experience under faculty supervision.

600. Research Design and Bibliography. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 500.

Analysis of the options in research design for examining language teaching and acquisition; basic statistics; use of computers in language research.

615. Analogical Modeling of Language. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 330 or equivalent.

Nondeclarative approaches to language description; work within the connectionist or neural net framework; analogical or exemplar modeling.

630. Syntactic Theory. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 430 or equivalent.

Theory of transformational grammar, emphasizing its history and recent extensions.

641. Interlanguage Analysis. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 330 or equivalent.

Language as it relates to language acquisition and teaching, including contrastive analysis, error analysis, and discourse analysis.

660. Language Testing. (3)

Construction, analysis, use, and interpretation of language tests.

677. Advanced Methodology. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 577 or equivalent.

Advanced ESL methodology and its classroom application.

678. Materials Development. (3)

Prerequisite: Ling 577, 579.

Principles and procedures for designing, developing, and evaluating language teaching/learning materials of various types: textbooks, computer programs, audiovisual aids, etc.

679. TESL Supervision- Administration Internship. (3)

Prerequisite: instructor's consent.

Actual fieldwork in TESL settings involving supervision, in-service training, and curricula-program study and administration.

690. Seminar in Linguistics. (2)

Prerequisite: Ling 630.

Advanced research and analysis of various linguistic problems.

695. TESL Seminar. (1)

Prerequisite: completion of majority of ESL courses; instructor's consent.

Integrating TESL theory and practice; refining thesis and publicly presenting and defending preliminary thesis.

699R. Master's Thesis. (1-9)

FACULTY 

BLAIR, ROBERT W., Professor. PhD, Indiana University, Bloomington, 1964. SLA; Sociolinguistics and Methodology.

BROWN, CHERYL, Professor. PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, 1983. SLA; Discourse; Methodology; Research Design; TESL.

GRAHAM, CHARLES RAY, Associate Professor. PhD, University of Texas, Austin, 1977. SLA/Attrition; ESL; Spanish.

HALLEN, CYNTHIA, Assistant Professor. PhD, University of Arizona, 1991. Rhetoric; Lexicography; Philology.

HENRICHSEN, LYNN E., Professor. EdD, University of Hawaii, 1987. TESL; Methodology; Materials Development; EST.

LUTHY, MELVIN J., Professor. PhD, Indiana University, Bloomington, 1967. Phonology; Syntax; Finnish.

MANNING, ALAN, Assistant Professor. PhD, Louisiana State University, 1988. Linguistics Theory; Syntax.

MELBY, ALAN K., Professor. PhD, Brigham Young University, 1976. Computer Aids for Translators; Syntax; French.

ROBERTSON, JOHN S., Professor. PhD, Harvard University, 1976. Historical Linguistics; Semiotics; Mayan Languages.

SCOTT, MARY LEE, Associate Professor. PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, 1989. Applied Linguistics; Testing; Language Acquisition.

SHELLEY, MONTE F., Assistant Professor. PhD, Brigham Young University, 1983. Text Retrieval and Analysis; Instructional Science; Instructional Evaluation.

TANNER, MARK, Assistant Professor. PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1991. Language Acquisition; TESL.

The following are linguists in language departments who frequently teach linguistics courses in their own disciplines or in the Department of Linguistics and who also serve on graduate and other committees for the Linguistics Department:

BELNAP, R. KIRK—Asian Languages

BOURGERIE, DANA—Chinese

BUSH, CHARLES—Computer Applications

EGGINGTON, WILLIAM—English

FAILS, WILLIS C.—Spanish

HALLEN, CYNTHIA—English

HART, DAVID K.—Russian

JARVIS, DONALD—Russian

JONES, RANDALL L.—German

LARSON, JERRY—Spanish

LUND, RANDALL—German

MATHEWS, THOMAS J.—Spanish

MEREDITH, R. ALAN—Spanish

OAKS, DALLIN D.—English

PARKINSON, DILWORTH B.—Arabic

RUSSELL, ROBERT A.—Japanese and Arabic

SKOUSEN, ROYAL—English

SMITH, KIM—Computer Applications

TURLEY, JEFFREY S.—Spanish

WATABE, MASAKAZU—Japanese

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