Our Department
The Linguistics Department offers a Bachelor of Arts Linguistics major and a minor. Some linguistics courses are required in other majors (such as Liberal Studies). We also offer a Master of Arts in Linguistics and a graduate level certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). There are four options in the linguistics M.A. program, General Linguistics, Language and Culture, TESOL, and a Special Concentration in an area designed by a student in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. Both the TESOL option and the TESOL certificate draw approximately twenty students to the graduate programs each semester. The TESOL degree is an applied degree, enabling our students to take jobs teaching English as a second or foreign language. Many Linguistics graduate students are international students, reflecting the international mission and increasing the visibility of CSULB. Currently, we have nearly 100 graduate students in the programs. Undergraduate majors and minors will further enhance the value and visibility of Linguistics in the University.
Our Programs
Linguistics, the study of language, has developed into a multi-faceted field which embraces many related disciplines. Our department reflects this breadth very well. Our wide range of courses include the study of language structure, language acquisition by children, second language learning and teaching, language and communication in various settings, language as expressing culture and society, language change, and other areas. In each area, linguistic theory and methods of research are addressed. Applications, especially to teaching, are a major emphasis. We offer an M.A. in Linguistics, with options in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Language and Culture, General Linguistics, and Special Concentration, which is tailored to individual students’ goals. We also offer a B.A. major and minor in Linguistics, an Interdisciplinary CLAD Minor, and a graduate level Certificate in TESOL.
