(2000) Professor Emeritus of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 1982, University of California, Irvine; M.A. 1984, California State University, Fullerton; M.A. 1994, Ph.D. 1998, University of Southern California.

(2018) Associate Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2008, California State University, San Marcos; M.A. 2011, Ph.D. 2018, University of New Mexico.

(2011) Department Chair of Linguistics/TESL; Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 1998, University of California, Berkeley; M.A. 2005, Ph.D. 2011, University of California, Los Angeles.

(2014) Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2003, Kyung Hee University; M.A. 2005, Ph.D. 2011, University of California, Los Angeles.

(1986) Professor Emeritus of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 1970, University of California, Riverside; M.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1982, University of California, Los Angeles.

Prerequisite: Placement in a supported GE subarea A2 Written Communication course. Corequisite: UNIV 061. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form designed with international non-native speakers of English in mind. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies, and the appropriate gathering …

Prerequisite: Successful completion of 113A. Corequisite: UNIV 062. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies, and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements …

This course draws heavily from current issues in society to highlight the role of language. It explores strategies used to construct and reflect our identities (as skaters, rappers, school girls, nerds, etc.), to form new meanings and to accommodate popular new technologies (e.g., texting). This course also examines personal and societal perceptions and attitudes toward …

Study of the meaning, role, and use of forbidden language in English and other languages, including understanding the many types (swearing, obscenity, taboo, etc.), its grammar and where it is processed in the brain, how these words have changed over time, societal attitudes towards those who use it, comparing its use in other cultures and …

This course explores language and music, and their co-occurrence in human societies and cultures. Is it a mere coincidence or is there an underlying reason? Is our innate ability to develop language related to how we create and experience music? Is our brain “wired” for both music and language? Are they related to each other …

What are the languages of California? Who speaks them? What can discovering and examining the range of indigenous, diasporic and emerging languages in California tell us about our own relationships to language and languages, individually and collectively? This course looks at these questions, investigating, through its survey of California’s languages, some fundamental linguistic and sociolinguistic …

This course provides a comprehensive, in-depth and data-driven introduction to the questions that are raised in the major subfields of linguistics and to the prevailing scientific approaches that are applied to answer those questions. Students will learn foundational concepts of the field and learn to analyze linguistic data. Students also will learn how to describe …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course addresses two areas at once: the nature of human language and how linguistics and its practitioners study it. It provides students with opportunities to systematically examine and analyze aspects of human language, of which–as we all are–they have been largely unaware. From learning, applying, and …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores a range of topics related to the study of language and social interaction in both casual and professional settings (such as clinical settings, 911 call centers, news interviews, classrooms). It examines how language affects our social lives and how social organization affects our use …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Determining what a written text or spoken utterance exactly conveys is nowhere more important than in the area of the law where subtle differences in wording can have drastic consequences in people’s lives. This course examines how language is used and interpreted in legal settings by applying …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course studies language as a major factor in our formation of our self-identity and our conceptualization of ourselves and others as male or female. It provides a comprehensive introduction from a linguistic perspective to issues of language, gender, identity and power. Available for General Education, CSUN Section …

Introduces students to the fundamentals of TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). Students will explore the skills and conditions involved in successful second and foreign language learning. Students will use this knowledge to understand the foundations related to second and foreign language instruction, specifically for adults in Intensive English Programs, adult schools, community colleges …

Introduction to English grammar pedagogy that is essential to become effective teachers of English as a second or foreign language. This course allows students to acquire knowledge of English grammatical forms, meanings, and uses, as well as to explore issues related to grammar teaching in the language classroom. Students in this course will develop skills …

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 300 or ENGL 301. Study of the physical and acoustical properties of sound in a variety of natural languages, as well as phonological analysis and rule formation in phonological systems. Available for graduate credit.

Preparatory: LING 300 or equivalent. This morphology course introduces students to the range of questions that the field of linguistics asks about speakers’ knowledge of word structure and to the methods that linguists use both to respond to such questions and develop additional ones. Students will become acquainted with central insights from the field and learn …

Preparatory: LING 300. LING 404 takes students into the field of syntactic inquiry, learning about the tools used to develop representations of what speakers of a language know about the structural relationships among the meaning-bearing elements in their language, and about how such representations are evaluated, in pursuit of the representations telling us the most about …

Linguistic study of meaning and context of discourse and the relationship of such study to grammar. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 300 or ENGL 301. LING 411 investigates the ways languages emerge and evolve. The course looks at gradual changes in vocabulary (lexicon), sounds (phonetics and phonology—hence, spelling), and grammar (morphology and syntax). Topics include the comparative method, the genealogical and typological classification of languages, language universals and the historical development of …

Required for both ITEP and Linguistics/TESL students and addresses topics linked to language arts and (T)ESL methods courses for students preparing to teach. Introduces students to the study of language development and acquisition, including such topics as approaches to the development of children’s grammars, the development of communicative competence, definitions of bilingualism and multilingualism, relationships …

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 300 or ENGL 301. This course examines various effects of language contact–the occurrence of lexical and grammatical borrowing, such as borrowings between English and Spanish; the emergence of pidgins, creoles and mixed languages; and the process of language attrition or death in the context of a dominant language. The course also …

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 300 or ENGL 301. Examines linguistic behavior patterns as determined by such factors as age, gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, region and social context. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 300 or ENGL 301. Upper division course dealing with concepts and controversies regarding bilingualism in the U.S. Students will gain an understanding of bilingual language acquisition (e.g., when children acquire more than one language in the home or at school); bilingual language phenomena such as code-switching, linguistic borrowing, transfer, and interlanguage, …

This is an intensive seminar on computational data processing in linguistics. While computers have no minds of their own, researchers are increasingly able to harness computational methods to understand natural language, which is often ‘messy’ and unpredictable. The focus of this course is the creation of working computer code that can help us answer questions …

Recommended Preparatory: LING 300. In-depth study of a selected theme or issue in Linguistics that is not covered in other Linguistics undergraduate courses. Topics will change from semester to semester and be restricted in scope and aimed at gaining depth on a particular issue in Linguistics. Critical writing and reading required. Up to three different courses …

Preparatory: Consent of instructor and Linguistics/TESL department chair. Experimental courses in linguistics offered in other departments are subject to approval by the Linguistics/TESL department chair.

Preparatory: Consent of instructor and Linguistics/TESL department chair.

Prerequisite: LING 402. This course focuses on articulatory phonetics. In depth study of current issues in the articulatory and physical properties of sounds in natural languages; typology of sound inventories in world languages; perception, transcription, and production of sounds.

Prerequisite: LING 506 or equivalent. Current issues in phonological theory.

Critical historical examination of research on second-language acquisition. Study of analytical approaches, such as contrastive analysis, error analysis, performance analysis and discourse analysis, showing how different approaches reflect changing conceptions of language and the nature of language learners.

Prerequisite: LING 510 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Examination of recent theoretical developments in linguistics from the general perspective of cognitive science. Focus on three major areas: cognitive grammar, semantics and pragmatic dimensions of linguistic categorization, as well as the interface of cognition, experience and grammar in natural discourse.

Seminar in the theoretical and methodological aspects of discourse analysis in a linguistic perspective.

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 510 or equivalent. This course introduces graduate students in Linguistics and TESL to key concepts from the fields of phonetics and phonology. The phonetics component of the course focuses on the articulatory description and classification of speech sounds and provides practice in using the International Phonetic Alphabet. The phonology component of …

This course introduces graduate students in Linguistics and TESL to the central questions and findings that guide linguistic research in phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics. This data rich and research focused course emphasizes analysis, reasoning, and argumentation in the context of these subfields of linguistics and …

An introduction to multiple definitions of the field of applied linguistics and insight into the ways that scholars identify and define the concerns of the discipline. Included in the course will be an introductory survey of several specific areas of study that fall under the heading of Applied Linguistics.

This course introduces graduate students in Linguistics and TESL to key findings from the fields of first and second language acquisition. Topics include the acquisition and processing of phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse and the parallels and differences between first and subsequent language acquisition. The course emphasizes a critical analysis of diverging frameworks and models …

Preparatory: LING 530. Provides students with a foundation for understanding the processes of reading and writing—as well as the relationships between them—as they are experienced by adult second-language learners. Topics in the area of reading include skills and strategies that contribute to the second language learner’s ability to read and to comprehend a variety of …

Preparatory: LING 530. Provides students with a foundation for understanding the processes of listening and speaking as these are experienced by adult second-language learners. While the course focuses on the academic environment, it includes an examination of skills necessary for learners to comprehend a variety of speakers in a range of spoken discourse types, covering …

Preparatory: LING 530. Provides a systematic description of the structures and usages of English grammar from the perspective of someone learning English as an additional language. Students focus on ways that such material may most effectively be presented to non-native speakers of English.

This course prepares students for coursework offered in the M.A. degree in TESL program and for careers in the TESL field. Students will learn the goals of an M.A. TESL student—acquire practical planning skills, examine the history of second and foreign language teaching, develop a basic knowledge of second language acquisition, use research tools in …

Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 510 or equivalent. This course is a graduate seminar on sociolinguistics with a focus on language variation description, theory, method, and application. The course will examine regional, social, ethnic and gender varieties. The class will study reports of research focusing on everyday social interaction as well as on larger scale patterns …

Prerequisite: LING 530. Prerequisite or Corequisite: LING 525. This course is designed to provide students knowledge of issues related to the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) to non-native speakers of English in postsecondary academic settings and also to provide students an opportunity to gain teaching experience through supervised practicum training. The focus …

Prerequisite or Corequisite for TESL Track: LING 530. Prerequisite or Corequisite for LING Track: LING 510. An introduction to research in linguistics, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research. Data collection and analysis are covered, along with methods for writing research reports.

Prerequisite: LING 530. This course is intended for students interested in exploring and practicing educational assessment and pursuing a career in TESL. In this course, students not only learn about assessment practices, but more specifically they become aware of the types of pre-, post- and in-class language assessment required to run an effective English language …

This course examines current research, theories, practices, and instructional approaches to teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Students will receive an introduction to ESP and its various sub-branches-English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Occupational Purposes (EOP), and English for Professional Purposes (EPP). This course prepares students to teach ESP in a variety of contexts …

Prerequisite: LING 510 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. In-depth study of a selected theme or issue in Linguistics/TESL that is not covered in other Linguistic/TESL graduate courses. Topics will change from semester to semester and be restricted in scope and aimed at gaining depth on a particular issue in Linguistics/TESL. Critical writing and …

Prerequisite: LING 506 or equivalent. This course focuses on acoustic phonetics. In depth empirical and theoretical study of the acoustic properties of speech production, perception, and audition. In addition, students will develop expertise in the use of laboratory equipment and instrumentation in the analysis of experimental phonetic data.

Prerequisite: LING 404. In-depth study of current approaches to syntactic analysis.

Prerequisite: Consent of Linguistics/TESL department chair. Enrollment required in the semester that the comprehensive examination is taken.

This course serves as the culminating experience for students in the Linguistics and TESL M.A. programs. The focus of the course is on the development of a professional graduate project (a graduate project), which will demonstrate each student’s accomplishments and mastery of the relevant area (TESL or Linguistics). While the requirements for the graduate project …

Prerequisites: Classified graduate status; Consent of instructor and Linguistics/TESL department chair. Maximum of 6 units of 599 and 699 allowed in a student’s program.

Linguistics studies human language, seeking to define its nature, to establish its relationship to human thought, to discover what distinguishes human language from other forms of communication (human and nonhuman), to understand how children develop a language and acquire additional ones, to understand the ways in which languages may differ from one another and to …

Linguistics is the scientific study of language: its nature, its relationship to human thought, its forms (human and nonhuman), its development in children and its acquisition by adults, and its use in social contexts. A minor in Linguistics can be a valuable addition to a variety of majors, including Anthropology, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Criminology …

Linguistics studies human language, seeking to define its nature, to establish its relationship to human thought, to discover what distinguishes human language from other forms of communication (human and nonhuman), to understand how children develop a language and acquire additional ones, to understand the ways in which languages may differ from one another, and to …

This ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog years: 2023 Linguistics, B.A. 2024 Linguistics, B.A. 2025 Linguistics, B.A. All lower division GE completed. Requirements with completion of an AA-T in Global Studies as listed below. Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. Transfer Year 1: First Semester Course Units LING 200 or LING …

This ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog years: 2023 Linguistics, B.A. 2024 Linguistics, B.A. 2025 Linguistics, B.A. All lower division GE completed. Requirements with completion of an AA-T in Social Justice Studies as follows: Transfer Year 1: First Semester Course Units LING 200 or LING 230 or LING 250 (if not …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2021 Linguistics, B.A. 2022 Linguistics, B.A. Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: A2 Written Communication 3 GE Basic Skills: B4 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning 3 GE B1 Physical Science or GE B2 Life Science …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2023 Linguistics, B.A. 2024 Linguistics, B.A. Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: A2 Written Communication 3 GE Basic Skills: B4 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning 3 GE B1 Physical Science or GE B2 Life Science …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog years: 2023 Linguistics, B.A. 2024 Linguistics, B.A. 2025 Linguistics, B.A. The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, Title 5 (United States History and Government), and lower division core requirements for this major. See General Education Rules …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2025 Linguistics, B.A. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: Area 1A English Composition (Written Communication) 3 GE Basic Skills: Area 2 Lower Division Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning 3 GE Area 5A Physical Science or GE Area 5B Biological Science 3 …

The Department of Linguistics/TESL is committed to student success, with a focus on equity and inclusion. Students in the department engage with the study of human language from a broad spectrum of perspectives. These perspectives include formal, cognitive and social approaches to linguistics, as well as the theory and practice of language teaching and learning. …

(2011) Chief of Operations to the Provost; Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2002, M.A. 2005, Ph.D. 2010, University of California, Los Angeles.

(1992) Professor Emeritus of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 1969, St. Bonaventure University; M.A. 1977, University of Michigan; Ph.D. 1991, Georgetown University.

(2015) Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2004, University of Oregon; Ph.D. 2013, University of Michigan.

(1990) Professor Emeritus of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 1971, Harvard College; M.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1985, University of California, Los Angeles.

(2022) Assistant Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2006, Sarah Lawrence College; M.A. 2014, Wayne State University; Ph.D. 2022, University of Michigan.

The Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate program at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), is specifically designed for those who intend to teach English to speakers of other languages—English as a Second/Subsequent Language (TESL) in the United States or English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) abroad. It provides certification that the candidate has …

TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) also is termed Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and is closely related to TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). TESL deals with teaching methods, principles, ways to teach different kinds of students, curriculum design, lesson planning, attention to the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and assessment. Along with …

The TESL minor program in the College of Humanities provides foundational and introductory preparation for teaching English to speakers of other languages by gaining an understanding of how languages are acquired; through knowledge of English forms, meanings and uses; and by developing the skills needed to teach English.

(2017) Associate Professor of Linguistics/TESL. B.A. 2010, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; M.Ed. 2013, University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D. 2017, Michigan State University.