ÐÔÓûÉç

MA Program

Introduction to the M.A. in Applied Linguistics

The ÐÔÓûÉç MA Program in Applied Linguistics provides students with training in applied linguistics, broadly defined to include second language teaching, curriculum and materials development, documentary linguistics, and language policy and planning. The Linguistics Program is highly interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on faculty expertise in the Alaska Native Language Program, the Department of Anthropology, the Department of English, the School of Education, and the Department of Foreign Languages. Students in the Linguistics Program work closely with faculty engaged in primary research to develop linguistic applications relevant to Alaska and beyond.

Degrees Offered

Graduate students in applied linguistics may pursue a general program or develop a concentration in either language documentation or second language acquisition and teacher education.  Students are expected either to have or to develop proficiency in at least one language other than English, as demonstrated by a proficiency exam or a comparable measure determined by the student's graduate committee.  Students pursuing certification in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education must demonstrate proficiency in the language they intend to teach.

The general program provides students with a practical foundation in linguistics but remains broad enough to allow exploration of a variety of possible thesis topics.

Language documentation is designed to provide practical foundations in linguistics, techniques of fieldwork and documentation, with special focus on Alaska Native languages.

Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education is designed for students interested in teaching English as a second language, a foreign or Alaska Native language.  It is designed to provide theoretical and practical foundations in second language acquisition, language teaching, materials development and language assessment.