Teaching Assistantships Available for Students Interested in MA/Phd in Linguistics

The department offers programs leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics. The theoretical core of the programs is in phonology and syntax. The M.A. degree provides a broad education in linguistics which serves as a base for further study in linguistics or related disciplines. If a student chooses the TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) focus, in conjunction with the M.A., then the degree prepares students for a career in teaching English to nonnative speakers. The Ph.D. degree is primarily a research degree with a basis in phonology and syntax and with the opportunity for students to develop an area of research specialization.

The Department of Linguistics has particular strengths in SLA, phonology and syntax.

Second Language Acquisition: The SLA curriculum includes courses for students interested in first and second language acquisition. Courses provide an overview and analysis of current SLA research conducted within the generative framework, with emphasis on explaining the linguistic competence of second language learners in terms of Universal Grammar, the innate language acquisition device. Work focuses on experimental research investigating the influence of the first language, theories of UG access, and related topics.

Phonology: The phonology curriculum emphasizes current theoretical perspectives, including Optimality Theory, along with the collection, description, and interpretation of novel phonological and phonetic data. Courses feature extensive work in data analysis and problem solving, focusing on the construction and evaluation of phonological theories, particularly in light of new empirical data.

Syntax: The curriculum in syntax includes the dual emphases of empirical and theoretical perspectives through a variety of foundational courses that build analytic and argumentation skills, as well as more specialized course work on current issues in syntactic theory. The courses consist of intensive work in problem solving, and combine discovery and description of new linguistic data with exploration of the implications of such facts in testing and constructing syntactic theories.

Undergraduate Program What can I do with a major in linguistics? General information Bachelor of Arts BA with TESL Emphasis Honors Minor   Joint BA/MA in Linguistics with TESL Focus   Graduate Programs General information Admissions Financial Aid Requirements M.A. Ph.D. Recent Dissertations   The Faculty In the Linguistics Department In other departments Department Research Areas Faculty Resources	Listing of Current Courses NOTE: Enter "103" or select "Linguistics" from the drop-down Department menu. You may specify a different Session (Spring/Summer/Fall) using the drop-down menu in the upper right corner.     Colloquium series   Class pages   Contact Information   Statement of Objective Workshop on the Mind-Context Divide (April 30-May 2, 2009)   GASLA 9 (May 18-20, 2007)   MCWOP 12 (October 20-22, 2006)   Noam Chomsky in Iowa City  (April 10, 2006)   New Horizons in the Grammar of Raising and Control (July 8-10, 2005)   Workshop on the Syntax, Semantics and Acquisition of Aspect (May 24-26, 2002)   South Asian Language Analysis Roundtable (June 21-23, 2002)   MCWOP (October, 2001)
English as a Second Language Programs   African Language Instruction KiSwahili	Graduate students Other linguistically interesting Web sites
Contact information - For more information, contact the Linguistics Department at: Linguistics Department 269 English Philosophy Building The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242-1408 USA 319-335-0209 FAX: 319-335-3971 e-mail: linguistics@uiowa.edu campus mail address: 269 EPB Catherine Ringen is the DEO (chair).
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