Modern Languages Graduate Studies

The Department of Modern Languages offers a Ph.D. program in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This program provides students and future professionals with a theoretical grounding in linguistics and cognitive psychology, coupled with broad training in qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The goal of the Ph.D. program in SLA is to create independent and insightful researchers capable of using analytical and empirical methods to illuminate and understand the acquisition, use, and maintenance of second languages.

The field of Second Language Acquisition(SLA) is a highly interdisciplinary field of inquiry, defined by its own research agenda and, at the same time, closely allied with linguistics, psychology, and related social sciences. It encompasses research on basic and applied aspects of non-primary language acquisition and use. Basic SLA research focuses on the discovery of the general principles and processes that underlie knowledge of a second language, and seeks to relate these findings to our broader understanding of cognition and behavior. Applied SLA research addresses issues related to the learning and teaching of second languages, in both the classroom and naturalistic settings, with a focus on both cognitive and social issues. Of central interest is the identification of learner, teacher, and curricular variables that contribute to successful outcomes in second language learning. SLA researchers also examine the role of second language knowledge and use in social identity, success in schooling, and integration into the culture.

The Ph.D. program in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) provides students and future professionals with a theoretical grounding in linguistics and cognitive psychology, coupled with broad training in qualitative and quantitative research methodology. For more information on this field, click to the about page .