Second Language Acquisition Ph.D Course Descriptions

1. Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Research

This course reviews the field of second language acquisition (SLA) in order to provide students with an understanding of the way in which second languages are learned and acquired. The course will survey various theories of second language acquisition (e.g., Innateness and Universal Grammar, Connectionism, Input/Output, sociocultural theory), and their claims will be examined in the light of recent research findings. The course will also examine the impact of internal and external variables on second language acquisition and development. Some topics include: the role of learning environment for language acquisition, explanations for different success among second language learners, variations in second language use, and the effect of classroom instruction in second language acquisition. The course also aims to compare methodologies, contexts and results of the various studies, categorizing patterns and tendencies in their approaches to research, as well as the results of the research. (82-783)

 

2. Research Methods in SLA

This course introduces students to key concepts of research methodology and design. The focus is on understanding the basic principles in research design; developing a range of skills to design empirical studies; developing competence in evaluating and critiquing varying types of data-base studies; and familiarizing students with major research paradigms used in SLA. Students will develop competencies in formulating theoretically sound research questions, designing appropriate data collection/analysis procedures, providing a legitimate rational for the data collection and analysis procedures, reviewing data-base SLA studies and postulating specific implications for their proposed research.(82-881)

 

3. Instruction and Learning

This course focuses on exploring classroom-centered research on second language learning. The course surveys classroom research findings and explores the methodological issues related to this context of learning. This course also provides students with an opportunity to engage on research projects in their own classrooms and reflect on the relationship of theory, practice and learning out-comes. (TBD)

 

4. Language Theories

Underlying the theory and practice of SLA is a persistent and inseparable discourse about the nature of language itself. To the extent that this discourse about language is distinct from the discourse about SLA in general, an appreciation of the different ways language has been imagined over the ages is a prerequisite to fully understanding the corresponding ideologies of SLA. A thematic unity for the course will be provided by the tension between two perceptions (sometimes referred to as ideologies) of language: a narrower view as a dyadic structured code that relates forms to meanings, and an alternative view as a component of cognition and social communication. Some of the questions studied are: How are the relationships among thought (meaning), praxis (usage), and structure (grammar) in language to be theorized? How does language structure in the broader sense interact with cognition and with social structures? (76-836)

 

5. Statistics

This course covers the most important statistical techniques for the analysis of behavioral data and the design of experiments using examples drawn directly from the psychological and social science literature. The emphasis throughout is on understanding the assumptions that underlie these techniques and on properly interpreting the results when these techniques are applied. (36-309/749)

 

6. Introduction to Qualitative Methods

This course focuses on the theoretical and practical principles that guide qualitative inquiry in second language and multilingual contexts. The course provides students the opportunity to explore in depth data collection and analysis tools (e.g. interviews, participant observation, discourse analysis, narrative analysis, etc). In addition, students reflect about the ethics and style in research reporting characteristic in this approach. The course is grounded on individual research projects conducted by students during the course of the semester. (82-885)

 

7. Graduate Research Seminar

The goal of the seminar is to provide a forum to discuss ongoing research. All graduate students and faculty in the program present their ongoing projects and receive feedback in a constructive feedback environment. Students also receive professional development workshops to contribute to their involvement in the activities typical of the SLA field. This seminar meets every other week during each semester and is facilitated by faculty members who rotate each semester. (82-780)