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Degree Requirements

Upon entering the program, most students will have completed one graduate-level course in methods of teaching a foreign or second language, one graduate-level course in linguistics, and one course with a substantial research component. In addition, students seeking admission to the program with a specific language concentration are required to demonstrate oral proficiency in that language.

Included in the 36-credit program are a three-course introductory sequence, two required courses in Research Design and Methodology, and three courses in one of four areas of specialization (see below) .

Language competence is required in two languages other than English, one for superior competence, the other for adequate reading competence.

In addition to the required coursework and the language requirement, students must past preliminary examinations and write the doctoral dissertaion.

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Courses for the Ph.D. in SLA

Because the doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition is interdisciplinary, courses are taken from different departments to meet requirements for the degree. Students are required to take 36 credits, as follows.  Some of the courses in the list below may have prerequisites; students should consult with their advisor and with the professor of the course if that is the case.

Introductory sequence: 3 required courses
Research design and methodology  2 courses
SLA Specialization (Strand)  3 courses
Minor    4 courses


Students may specialize in one of the following 4 areas of specialization (strands):

(1) Second Language Analysis
(2) Second Language Use
(3) Second Language Processes and Learning
(4) Second Language Pedagogical Theory and Postsecondary Instruction.

Students may minor in an area such as Foreign Language, Literature, Culture, and/or Linguistics; Nonnative Varieties of English; Bilingualism/Multi-Cultural Education; or Language Contact. Possible courses for the minor are not listed here, and must be approved by the SLA Advising Committee. Students may also elect other courses not listed below, if approved by their advisor.

No single course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement.

Introductory Sequence

Students must take 3 of the following courses:

  • English 333 Second Language Acquisition
  • English 711 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
  • English 905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics
  • Curriculum and Instruction 675 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)
  • Curriculum and Instruction 976 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)

Specific courses will be chosen by student and SLA Advising Committee.

Research Design and Methodology

Students must take 2 of the following courses:

Communication Arts

  • Comm Arts 361 Introduction to Quantitative Research in Communication

Curriculum and Instruction

  • C&I 714 Research and Evaluation Paradigms in Curriculum and Instruction
  • C&I 715 Design of Research in Curriculum and Instruction
  • C&I 725 Ethnographic Methods in Curriculum and Instruction
  • C&I 726 Qualitative Methods of Studying Children & Contexts
  • C&I 916 Introduction to Qualitative Research
  • C&I 917 Seminar: Design of Research & Evaluation - Curriculum & Instruction
  • C&I 975 Seminar: Topics in Language Education Research
  • C&I 976 Discourse Analysis in Education (Qualitative Analysis Course)

Educational Psychology

  • Ed Psych 760 Educational Statistics I
  • Ed Psych 761 Educational Statistics II
  • Ed Psych 762 Educational Statistics III
  • Ed Psych 763 Educational Statistics IV

English

  • English 703 Research Methods in Composition Studies
  • English 710 Discourse Analysis

SLA Specialization (Strand)

Students must take 3 courses in their specialization (strand). 

The following list classifies courses by the four strands of the interdisciplinary SLA Ph.D.

1. Second Language Analysis
2. Second Language Use
3. Second Language Processes and Learning
4. Second Language Pedagogical Theory and Postsecondary Instruction

When a course's content is broad, the course may appear in more than one category. For courses in which the topic changes each time it is offered, the classification of that course depends on the specific topic.

1. Second Language (SL) Analysis

African Languages and Literature
501 Structure of African Languages

Curriculum and Instruction
975 Discourse Analysis

Communication Arts
532 Semiotics of Communication
560 Communication Theory
970 Seminar: Language and Speech Behavior (with appropriate topic)

Communicative Disorders
815 Physiological Phonetics
816 Acoustical Phonetics

East Asian Languages and Literatures
431 Introduction to Chinese Linguistics
434 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
741 Studies in Chinese Syntax and Morphology
775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration
As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisors (with appropriate topic)

English
324 Structure of English
325 English in Use
329 Introduction to the Syntax of English
330 English Phonology
331 Language Variation in the United States
332 Global Spread of English
333 Second Language Acquisition
339 Linguistics and Literary Study
708 Advanced English Syntax
709 Advanced English Phonology
710 Discourse Analysis
713 Seminar: Topics in Contemporary English Linguistics
715 Advanced Studies in Second Language Acquisition
901 Seminar: Topics in the Structure of Written Communication
905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics
906 Seminar: The English Language

French and Italian
340 Structures of Italian
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages

German
662 German Applied Philology
671 German Phonetics
751 Contrastive Grammar of English and German
758 Topics in Contemporary German (with appropriate topic)
960 Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
769 Introduction to Comparative Germanic Morphology
970 Advanced Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Linguistics
426 Advanced Linguistic Analysis I: Phonology and Grammar
427 Advanced Linguistic Analysis II: Phonology and Grammar
510 Phonological Theories
522 Problems in Morphology
530 Syntactic Theories
540 Advanced Semantics
561 Introduction to Experimental Phonetics
610 Topics in Phonological Theory
699 Independent Reading (with appropriate topic)

Philosophy
511 Symbolic Logic
512 Methods of Logic
516 Language and Meaning
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)

Portuguese
333 Structure of the Portuguese Language
340 Portuguese Phonology
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
815 Seminar--Portuguese Language (with appropriate topic)

Spanish
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
543 Spanish Phonology
544 Applied Spanish Linguistics for Teachers
547 Structure of the Spanish Language I
548 Structure of the Spanish Language II
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

2. Second Language Use

Anthropology
429 Language and Society
430 Language and Culture (Cross-listed with Linguistics, S Asian 430)
456 Symbolic Anthropology
545 Psychological Anthropology

Communication Arts
405 Functional Aspects of Language and Speech Development
532 Semiotics of Communication
572 Interpersonal Communication
970 Seminar: Language and Speech Behavior (with appropriate topic)

East Asian Languages and Literatures
431 Introduction to Chinese Linguistics
434 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration
As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisors (with appropriate topic)

Educational Policy
755 Ethnography

English
325 English in Use
329 Introduction to the Syntax of English
330 English Phonology
331 Language Variation in the United States
332 Global Spread of English
333 Second Language Acquisition
336 English in Society
708 Advanced English Syntax
709 Advanced English Phonology
710 Discourse Analysis
713 Seminar: Topics in English Linguistics
715 Advanced Studies in Second Language Acquisition
905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics
906 Seminar: The English Language

French and Italian
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages

German
727 Topics in German Applied Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
960 Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
970 Advanced Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Journalism
620 International Communication
621 Mass Media in Developing Countries

Linguistics
699 Independent Reading (with appropriate topic)

Philosophy
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
526 Philosophy and Literature

Portuguese
333 Structure of the Portuguese Language
340 Portuguese Phonology
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
815 Seminar--Portuguese Language (with appropriate topic)

Psychology
406 Psychology of Perception
414 Theories of Learning and Memory
421 Psychology of Language
550 Animal Communication and the Origins of Language
720 Speech Perception and Reading
733 Perceptual and Cognitive Sciences (with appropriate topic)

Sociology
535 Language and Social Interaction
544 Survey Analysis
545 Ethnomethodology
960 Current Methodological Issues in Social Psychology: Conversation Analysis (topics course; number may change)
965 Recent Topics in Social Psychology: Ethnomethodology (topics course; number may change)

Spanish
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
543 Spanish Phonology
544 Applied Spanish Linguistics for Teachers
547 Structure of the Spanish Language I
548 Structure of the Spanish Language II
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

3. Second Language Processes and Learning

Communication Arts
402 Psychology of Communication
405 Functional Aspects of Language and Speech Development
970 Seminar: Language and Speech Behavior (with appropriate topic)

Communicative Disorders
503 Neural Mechanisms of Speech, Hearing and Language
815 Physiological Phonetics
816 Acoustical Phonetics

Curriculum and Instruction
630 Workshop in School Program Development (when topic is related to languages)
672 Issues in ESL Education
673 Learning Second Languages and Literacies
975 Discourse Analysis

East Asian Languages and Literatures
775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration
As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisors (with appropriate topic)

Educational Policy
755 Ethnography

English
325 Structure of English
332 Global Spread of English
333 Second Language Acquisition
700 Introduction to Composition Studies
701 Writing and Learning
702 Perspectives on Literacy
704 Intellectual Sources of Contemporary Composition Theory
713 Seminar: Topics in Contemporary English Linguistics
715 Advanced Studies in Second Language Acquisition
900 Seminar: Topics in Language and Cognition in the Composing Process
901 Seminar: Topics in the Structure of Written Communication
905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics

German
727 Topics in German Applied Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
960 Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
970 Advanced Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Linguistics
699 Independent Reading (with appropriate topic)

Philosophy
512 Methods of Logic
516 Language and Meaning
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
526 Philosophy and Literature

Portuguese
815 Seminar--Portuguese Language (with appropriate topic)

Psychology
406 Psychology of Perception
414 Theories of Learning and Memory
421 Psychology of Language
550 Animal Communication and the Origins of Language
611 Language and Cognitive Development
715 Language and Cognitive Development
720 Speech Perception and Reading
733 Perceptual and Cognitive Sciences (with appropriate topic)

Spanish
544 Applied Spanish Linguistics for Teachers
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

4. Second Language Pedagogical Theory and Postsecondary Instruction

African Languages and Literature
575 Teaching of African Language - Theory and Practice

Communication Arts
970 Seminar: Language and Speech Behavior (with appropriate topic)

Curriculum and Instruction
630 Workshop in School Program Development (when topic is related to languages)
672 Issues in ESL Education
675 General Seminar: Language Learning in Context (topics course)
975 Discourse Analysis

East Asian Languages and Literatures
775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration
As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisor (with appropriate topic)

English
334 Introduction to TESOL Methods
335 Techniques and Materials for TESOL

French and Italian
821 Issues in Methods of Teaching French and Italian

German
721 Practicum in the Coordination of Undergraduate Language Instruction
722 Theory of Teaching German
727 Topics in German Applied

Linguistics
699 Independent Reading (with appropriate topic)

Philosophy
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
545 Philosophical Conceptions of Teaching and Learning

Spanish
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)