Applied English Linguistics
Engaging in the Major
The major begins with core courses that cover general linguistics, history, grammar, sounds, semantics/pragmatics, and research methods in English. You will then choose a primary and secondary track of study from among Linguistic Computing, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Language Acquisition, Language in Society, and Language in History. Remaining coursework covers the collecting and processing of linguistic data, a foreign language, and an opportunity to apply your knowledge at an internship or international study program. By the time you complete the major, you’ll be equipped with an advanced understanding of English and the skills for studying and using it in the professional and academic world.
Competencies and Careers
Students in the Applied English Linguistics program can expect to develop strong Communication, Information Literacy, and Cultural Navigation competencies. Want to know more about these professional competencies?
Career Readiness
Applied English Linguistics Recommended Course Progression
Recommended early course progression:
Students first declaring the major should begin with our entry level course Eling 223 (equivalent to ling 201) and ling 198. 223 is a pre-requisite for most of the classes in the major and should be taken as soon as possible. I recommend taking 198 as early as possible as well because it is helpful to identify different resources, outcomes and possibilities that can come from the major. Eling 273 is commonly taken with those two if you have room for it in your schedule, it is a research course that will help you have that skill ready for all the subsequent courses. After you complete those, move to the 324-327 courses to knock out all your pre-requisites and give yourself some optionality later on.
Grad plans:
If you would like help creating a grad plan, consider meeting with an undergraduate specialist at the Liberal Arts Advisement Center.
Choosing your primary and secondary focus:
If you are unsure about your chosen focus, consider meeting with your academic and professional development manager, Jon Cook
jon_cook@byu.edu
Course substitutions and transfer course evaluations contact:
Brett Hashimoto brett_hashimoto@byu.edu
Funding and Internships
Internships can be an excellent way to gain some experience while here at BYU and a lot of the options are only available for BYU undergraduates. Most jobs students apply for after graduating will require some experiences and so this is a good way to get a jump start on that. The linguistics department has an internship coordinator who can help! Nicole Bay Nicole_bay@byu.edu
Resources to find internships:
- Washington Seminar
- Handshake
- On-Campus Internships
- Comparative Arts and Letters Internship Coordinator: Lisa Johnson
- Linguistics jobs & internships website: https://ling.byu.edu/jobs-and-internships
Funding for Internships
We offer funding for unpaid, professional internships . Please apply!
Humanities Financial Aid
Funding for mentored research
You can participate in a faculty-mentored research project, and you can receive funding for your project. Learn about the Hum Grants program.
Funding for Study Abroad Programs
There are great study abroad programs for all students Find Your Program
Linguistics has some of their own as well: https://ling.byu.edu/study-abroad
The College of Humanities offers funding for Humanities students going on Humanities study abroad programs.
College of Humanities Tuition Scholarships
The College of Humanities offers tuition scholarships. You can find out about the scholarship options and apply here: Humanities Financial Aid
University financial aid options
There are many resources to help you fund your tuition and experiences at BYU. The Financial Aid Office can help!
Campus Resources
Research and writing center: https://rwc.byu.edu
Accessibility center: https://access.byu.edu/accommodations
Learn anywhere: https://learnanywhere.byu.edu/campus-resources
Financial aid contact: amber_cook@byu.edu
Student leadership: https://studentleadership.byu.edu/
Free tutoring: https://yserve.byu.edu/tutoring
Academic Support: https://aso.byu.edu/
Participate in research: Our department is constantly involved in a variety of research projects and is looking for student assistance. You can get course credit and sometimes money participating in the research. Linked below is a page where a lot of the research being done is advertised but you can also pitch topics to your professor to do mentored research as well!
https://ling.byu.edu/participate-in-research
Our faculty produce high-quality, peer-reviewed research across many fields. Faculty publications are regularly reviewed on our News page. You can also view our faculty's directory information (including personal bios) and research interests. We regularly engage students in our research, and students often co-present this research at national and international conferences. They can also become co-authors on peer-reviewed articles with faculty members. Both graduate and undergraduate students can engage in research with faculty members through various research groups. Students can obtain funding for research and conference travel through the department or through College of Humanities HUM Grants.
Getting Involved
FAQ's
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Toggle ItemCan doing an internship count for my major?
There is an internship course (ling 399r) which if you get approval from the internship coordinator Nicole Bay nicole_bay@byu.edu she can consider it to count as a requirement 7 elective course.
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Toggle ItemWhen do I take the senior capstone course?
It is preferred for students to take it in their ultimate or penultimate semester. I recommend looking at the course topic (it is an “r” course remember”) in the header section of the registration tab in your penultimate semester and if the topic is something that intrigues you I would jump on it, if not, waiting until the final semester is fine as well.
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Toggle ItemHow do I select the track of my primary and secondary focus?
There is a button next to each option in progress report to the right of the track title in requirement 5 (primary) and requirement 6 (secondary). Click “select” on your chosen track for each one you have made your decision and the progress report should organize itself around your choices, while all the tracks will remain present, the courses will filter into the chosen tracks after you take them. Please reach out to your advisor with questions. jon_cook@byu.edu
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Toggle ItemHow do I complete requirement 6 (the foreign language requirement)?
Once you have passed a foreign language course at the 201(106 for Spanish) or higher level please contact Jon Cook jon_cook@byu.edu in the advisement center to manually close this requirement on your progress report.