For the official catalog text specifying the requirements for the linguistics major, please see the university's Programs of Study page.

The BA degree in Linguistics + TESL prepares undergraduates to teach English as an additional language in private and boarding schools in the US and in international, public, and private schools outside the US, as well as work in international English language teaching, publishing, and testing companies and organizations. Linguistics + TESL majors interested in seeking a graduate degree will have relevant training and coursework to prepare them for master and PhD degrees in a wide range of disciplines related to linguistics, education, and psychology.

Students must meet the requirements as listed below. Minimum required course work equates to a total of 41 credit hours of Linguistics and TESL courses, including the study of at least two foreign languages (one of which must be "non-Western").

Linguistics Core Courses (15 subject hours):

  • LING 100 - Introduction to Language Science (Or) EIL 486 - Linguistics for Language Teachers
  • LING 222 - Language in Globalization (Or) LING 250 - American Voices: Linguistic Diversity in the U.S.
  • LING 301 - Elements of Syntax
  • LING 302 - Elements of Phonology
  • LING 307 - Elements of Semantics & Pragmatics

TESL Core Courses (15 subject hours):

  • EIL 411 - Intro to TESL Methodology

+Choose four (4) courses from the following list:

  • EIL 422 - English Grammar for ESL Teachers
  • EIL 445 - Second Language Reading and Writing
  • EIL 488 - Phonology for Second Language Teachers
  • EIL 456 - Language and Social Interaction I (Or) LING 450 - Sociolinguistics I
  • EIL 460 - Principles of Language Testing
  • LING 489 - Theoretical Foundations of SLA

Capstone Course:

  • EIL 465 - TESL in the Community

Foreign Language Requirement (8-10 subject hours):

Students must fulfill the LAS foreign language requirement and, in addition, complete at least 8 hours in a second foreign language. One of these languages must be a non-Western language chosen from the following list or approved in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor:

American Sign Language, Arabic, Bamana, Basque, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, Korean, Lingala, Persian, Quechua, Sanskrit, Swahili, Turkish, Uzbek, Wolof, or Zulu.

Advanced Hours:

Students must complete at least 12 hours of linguistics and TESL courses at the 300-level or above on this campus. These courses may be included in the core courses or electives required above; this requirement is normally met automatically by completing the other requirements.