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Teaching English in the Global Context

English is the most common second language in the world; its global reach and practical application position it as the language of online media, international business, science, aviation, diplomacy, and education. This concentration prepares graduates for international education opportunities, ESL (English as a Second Language) instruction, ESL curriculum and content design, and ESL program administration. Our graduates with this concentration land positions in prestigious programs around the globe, from Japan to Korea to Spain and beyond (JET, EPIK, and NALCAP). 

Degree Plan (Word Doc)

Requirements for the Concentration

  • LING 4020 Structure of Modern English
  • LING 4030 Acquisition of English as a Second Language
  • LING 4080 Teaching English as a Second Language
  • LING 4410 World Englishes

*LING 3070, LING 4020, LING 4030, LING 4080 may be taken concurrently in the same semester

Computational Linguistics

Computational Linguistics (CL) is a rapidly growing field in the high-tech sector, critical for development of such technologies such as voice-enabled smart phones (e.g. Siri, Cortana) and home assistants (e.g. Alexa). IBM's Jeopardy-winning Watson system is another example of what CL can do. Yet another application area is text analytics for market analysis. This concentration is specifically intended to address a growing need for language processing skills, particularly those associated with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence/cognitive technologies.

Degree Plan (Word Doc)

Requirements for the Concentration

  • LING 3070 Introduction to Linguistics
  • LING 4130 Discovering Language from Data
  • LING 4135 Python for Text
  • LING 4140 Introduction to Computational Linguistics

Download the degree plan for this concentration HERE

Language and Law

This concentration, also offered as a certificate, equips students to understand the nature of everyday communication, the more specialized linguistic acts found in legal contexts, and the ways in which linguistic evidence can be used in prosecution and defense. This concentration prepares students in planning careers in law enforcement and within the legal system, such as paralegals, translators or interpreters, as well as attending law school or graduate studies in a wide variety of related fields.

Required (9 hours):

  • LING 2080 Language of Courts and Crime
  • LING 3020 Forensic Linguistics
  • LING 3090 Discourse Analysis

In addition, select 6 hours from the following: 

  • LING 2070 Language and Discrimination
  • LING 3010 African American English
  • LING 3040 Politics of Language
  • LING 4010 Language Variation