Applied Language Studies

Devoted to the study of language for teaching, multilingualism, translation, interpretation and intercultural communication

The Minor

The Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies program is offering an interdepartmental undergraduate minor in Applied Language Studies (ALS) starting Fall 2009. This minor should be of particular interest to students who have studied languages and who wish to add a research component to their language learning experience. By deepening their understanding of the processes of language learning and use, the ALS minor provides students additional expertise as they prepare for professional careers in education, law, business or medicine or for graduate study in the interdisciplinary field of Second Language Acquisition / Applied Linguistics. This field is growing in visibility and importance through various graduate programs at universities around the country.

Announcements

New ALS site launch
UGIS 120 for fall 2022 open for enrollment

What is Applied Language Studies

Sometimes called Applied Linguistics, the field of Applied Language Studies is devoted to the study of particular domains of language learning and use, such as foreign language learning and teaching, bi- and multilingualism, translation and interpretation, communication in professional contexts, or intercultural communication. The ALS minor will help students use their language learning experience, for example, to gain an understanding of:

how languages are learned
how language is related to individual cognition and to social context
how languages are used to achieve a wide range of social, cultural, aesthetic purposes
how language relates to culture, power and identity
how language and other symbolic systems construct both actual and virtual realities
what it means to be bi- or multilingual

This minor will be particularly useful for those who have experienced learning or speaking a language other than English, but it is open to all undergraduates.