Skip to main content

Applied Linguistics Programs

Contact us

Dr. Mythili Menon
mythili.menon@wichita.edu 
316-978-3763

The applied linguistics major at Wichita State University offers a rich and diverse experience for students interested in pursuing various aspects of language study and / or analysis. As a student, you'll be introduced to the basic methodology and linguistic principles of linguistics, including phonological and grammatical concepts used in modern and historical linguistics. You'll study how language varies across time and space, and how it is used in different social contexts. You'll also be introduced to various subfields of linguistics, including phonetics and phonology, syntax and semantics, morphology, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, historical linguistics, and applied linguistics.

As you progress through the applied linguistics major or the linguistics minor, you'll acquire the following:

Skills and Abilities

  • Recognize and understand the basic fields of linguistics and applied linguistics
  • Be familiar with the types of representational units that are used in describing and analyzing patterns of sound, word, and sentence structure
  • Be able to formulate rules to describe the patterns of speech sounds, morphemes, and words in English and across other languages
  • Formulate and test hypotheses
  • Conduct linguistic research and present findings
  • Apply knowledge of linguistics to other fields
  • Impart critical thinking by hypothesis creation and testing predictions
  • Involve in different types of data collection and management

Knowledge

  • Understand language as a grammatical system and social
  • Analyze the structural components of language
  • Create new constructed languages
  • Understand how languages vary across time and space
  • Apply linguistic principles to other domains, such as food studies, music, social contexts

Program Goals

Increasing interest in the program has led to a thriving minor and an applied linguistics major. To support this program, faculty continue to:

  • Pursue cutting-edge research agendas that encourage professional visibility through professional conferences and publications
  • Make effective use of technology in instruction, particularly through the use of computers for linguistic analysis
  • Provide career advising to help prepare students for higher education in the field

Major in Linguistics

Program Requirements

  • 120 hours are required for graduation
  • Students must earn a 2.0 overall GPA, a 2.0 Wichita State GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in the major
  • Students must also complete all courses required for Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education.
  • In addition, Foreign Language courses (or the equivalents) are required for every Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Electives

Students can take electives from the following courses

Electives
Course # Course Name Semester Credit Hours
LING 316 English Sentence Structure 3
LING 318 Dialectology 3
LING 505A Advanced French Phonetics and Diction 3
LING 505B Russian Phonology 3
LING 505C Spanish Phonetics 3
LING 546 Spanish Language Learning 3
LING 547 Spanish in the US 3
LING 635 Introduction to Romance Linguistics 3
LING 651 Language and Culture 3
LING 664 Quantitative Methods in Humanities and Social Sciences 3
LING 667 English Syntax 3
LING 672 Dialectology 3
LING 720 Seminar in Old English 3
LING 740 Graduate Studies in Linguistics 3
PSY 322 Cognitive Psychology 3
PSY 325 Developmental Psychology 3
PSY 405 Human Factors Psychology 3
COMM 360 Applied Communication Strategies 3
CS 211 Introduction to Programming 3
CS 510 Programming Language Concepts 3
CI 324 Linguistics for Elementary Teachers 3
CI 775 Applied Linguistics: ESL/Bilingual Teacher(s) 3

Minor in Linguistics

A minor in linguistics consist of 15 credit hours selected from a list of pre-approved courses. Note: Courses applied toward another major or minor will not apply toward a minor in linguistics.

WSU President Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case chat with exhibit opening attendees

Minor in Linguistics Course List

Several new courses are being developed and offered that count towards the Minor in Linguistics. These include:

  • LING 152: Language of Food
  • LING 665: Field Methods of Linguistics
  • SPAN 546: Spanish Language Learning
  • SPAN 547: Spanish in the U.S.
  • CSD 270 / LING 270. American Sign Language I
  • CSD 304 / LING 304. Early Language Development
  • CSD 306 / LING 306. Applied Phonetics
  • CSD 506 / 506H / LING 506: Acoustic and Perceptual Phonetics
  • CSD 520 / LING 520. ASL: Nonverbal Communication

Photo credit: Fernando Salazar / Ulrich Museum: Where We Belong - Refugee Stories from Wichita 

©