The two primary goals of the Department of Linguistics and Language Development (LLD) are understanding how the languages of the world work and addressing the English language needs of our culturally diverse society. For information on any of our programs, call the department office at 408-924-4413 and ask for the linguistics or TESOL coordinator.
The BA - Linguistics undertakes the scientific study of the nature, structure and function of language. Linguists study the origins of language, the meaning and history of words, what language tells us about the workings of the human mind, and the practical aspects of language, including intercultural communication, language learning and teaching, and language as a conveyor of information in profound human arenas, such as medicine and law. Linguistics is also a central discipline that is involved in communicating with machines using natural language (i.e., artificial intelligence and machine recognition and synthesis of speech). The program offers state-of-the-art equipment for the acoustic and perceptual study of speech. The major provides excellent preparation for advanced studies in linguistics as well as anthropology, communication, education, law, and speech and hearing. Students with knowledge of more than one language have an excellent background for the study of linguistics. Transfer students are welcome in the program and need no prerequisites before declaring a major in linguistics. Students should see the general education advisor to transfer general education units and the linguistics coordinator to transfer any other classes related to the major. The program allows students interested in teaching in high schools the possibility of combining the major with a teacher preparation option (see the section entitled "Teacher Preparation Option"). For more information, contact the LLD credential advisor. Those desiring more information about the BA - Linguistics should contact the linguistics coordinator.
The minor in linguistics provides training in the scientific study of language for students whose professional competence would be enhanced by a more thorough knowledge of linguistics than is provided by their majors.
The MA - Linguistics provides students with an interdisciplinary education in the scientific study of language. Courses in general and computational linguistics serve students interested in cognitive linguistics, speech synthesis, machine speech recognition, and language variation and change. Graduates in linguistics offer a set of highly specialized skills to computer companies working in speech technology and artificial intelligence. Many pursue careers with companies specializing in these areas. A small but significant number of linguistics graduates enter PhD programs for more advanced study. Other graduates pursue teaching careers in language and linguistics in domestic and overseas institutions. The department offers class scheduling to accommodate the needs of working students with small classes that promote faculty-student collaboration. Those desiring more information about the MA - Linguistics should contact the linguistics coordinator.
The MA - TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) prepares students to assess and systematically build the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of students from other language backgrounds who wish to learn English or to improve their skills in English. The department strikes a balance between theory and practice. Additionally, with its courses in English for Specific Purposes, LLD continues to set the standard in preparing students to develop and deliver English programs in scientific, business, medical and other specialized settings. Graduates from the MA - TESOL program staff many of the area's English as a Second Language programs at the community college, adult school and private program level. In addition, a number of TESOL graduates have chosen careers in international settings, teaching English as a Foreign Language in universities, schools and companies in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Hungary, Mexico and other countries. MA - TESOL graduates are also eligible to teach abroad through the U.S. government sponsored Fulbright and English Teaching Fellow programs. Any undergraduate major is appropriate preparation for this degree. Courses are scheduled to accommodate the needs of working students. Those desiring more information about the MA - TESOL should contact the TESOL coordinator.
The department offers both an undergraduate and graduate certificate in TESOL. The former is for students who have not yet completed the BA while the latter is for those who have. Students complete 18 units of courses related to the structure of English and teaching of English to speakers from other language backgrounds. Courses in the undergraduate certificate are at the undergraduate level, while most of the courses in the graduate certificate are at the graduate level and overlap with the MA - TESOL. It is not uncommon for students doing a graduate certificate in TESOL to continue on for the MA - TESOL. Students seeking an undergraduate certificate may register for classes through Open University or take the required courses as electives in their degree program. Students seeking a graduate certificate may register for classes through Open University or apply using the regular graduate application form.
This certificate prepares students for analyzing language structures in the environment of human language interfaces in software development. In addition to a programming requirement, students may take a specified set of 15 units as part of their degree requirements. Those desiring more information should contact the linguistics coordinator.
Approximately 25% of graduate students come from other countries and contribute greatly to our programs. The success rate of international students is comparable to that of domestic students. International students who do not meet our TOEFL requirement may contact Studies in American Language for information on TOEFL preparation on the SJSU campus.
Upon entering a program in the Department of Linguistics and Language Development, every student is assigned to a faculty advisor. Students meet with their advisors at least once a semester in order to plan their program for the following semester. Advisors are also available to assist students with procedures for transferring units, moving to classified status, getting credit for foreign language proficiency, etc.
Students in all our programs communicate with each other through the active Linguistics and Language Development Student Association (LLDSA), which works with faculty to see that student concerns are speedily addressed and to bring leaders in the field to speak to the department through its colloquia series. Linguistics students have the opportunity to network nationally and internationally through the conferences and institutes of the Linguistics Society of America while TESOL students do the same through their international professional organization and its California affiliate, CATESOL. Students in both programs are invited to join the American Association for Applied Linguistics, the International Association of World Englishes, and other organizations in the field.
Silicon Valley provides a concentration of computer companies that regularly launch projects in such linguistically-related fields as natural language processing, speech recognition and speech synthesis. Likewise, a concentration of English as a Second Language programs is found in the area's numerous community colleges, adult schools, nonprofit organizations, private language schools and workplace literacy programs. Students in LLD's programs benefit from both practical experience and internships within these programs. In addition, limited opportunities to serve as paid tutors and research assistants are available within the department.
Faculty expertise includes second language acquisition, language contact, phonetics, experimental phonology, semantics, cognitive linguistics, educational issues of language minority students, task-based teaching and learning, world Englishes, pedagogical English grammar, English for Specific Purposes, literacy for culturally diverse learners, the psychology of language processing, corpus linguistics and the effects of technology on language and society. The faculty as a whole are noted for excellence in teaching.
Among the department's many distinguished alumni are Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club; Lily-Wong-Fillmore, an internationally known expert in second language acquisition, and Susan Crandall, an attorney who regularly uses linguistic evidence in the courtroom. Our MA - Linguistics graduates have entered PhD programs at UC Berkeley, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, the University of Colorado at Boulder, Ohio State University, The University of Washington, and the University of Southern California.
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