PhD in Applied Linguistics
Our innovative PhD in Applied Linguistics at Northern Arizona University is a nationally recognized program for scholars interested in second language acquisition and production, pragmatics, and teaching English as a second language (TESL). Other areas of interest for our students and faculty include:
- Corpus linguistics
- English linguistics
- Linguistics skills
- Curriculum & program evaluation
- Grammar and vocabulary
- Grammatical variation
- Language testing and assessment
- Pragmatics
- Psycholinguistics
- Research methods
- Register and discourse analysis
- Second language acquisition
- Second language listening and speaking
- Second language reading and writing
- Speech perception and production
- Spoken discourse
- World Englishes
Why pursue an Applied Linguistics doctorate at NAU?
Personal faculty-student relationships
Our faculty work closely with individual students, helping them to develop as colleagues in applied linguistics. As a result, our Applied Linguistics PhD students have an outstanding record of publication and participation in major conferences such as TESOL and AAAL. Graduates of our program have also been highly successful at obtaining tenure-track faculty positions at major universities.
Outstanding research labs
Faculty and student research is supported by our three labs, the Corpus Research Lab, the Applied Linguistics Speech Lab, and the Language and Memory Lab, as well as the Program in Intensive English (PIE), all of which assist students in developing their applied linguistics skills.
Corpus Research Lab Accordion Closed
Undergraduate, graduate, and visiting scholars actively participate in cutting-edge corpus research. The lab has an extensive collection of corpus holdings, some of which are only available to NAU researchers and visiting scholars. We also have a suite of corpus tools available. For more information, visit the Corpus Research Lab website or contact Dr. Randi Reppen.
Applied Linguistics Speech Lab (ALSL) Accordion Closed
Both undergraduate and graduate students actively participate in empirical research through hands-on experience in the ALSL. Using facilities in the speech lab, students have opportunities to analyze speech production and perception data, observe speech signals, and verify their effects on speech perception. The ALSL is equipped with advanced speech acquisition and processing equipment and software. Find more information on the Speech Lab’s website or contact Dr. Okim Kang.
Language and Memory Lab Accordion Closed
The lab is equipped for chronometric, psychometric, and visual-world eye-tracking investigation of language learning and processing. Graduate students, undergraduate students, and visiting scholars can participate in ongoing projects or propose studies of their own. Our psycholinguistics and SLA courses and seminars serve as incubators for student projects. For more information, visit the lab website or contact Dr. Vedran Dronjic.
Accordion Closed
Program in Intensive English (PIE)
Applied Linguistics and TESL students and faculty are able to propose and carry out research projects at the PIE. Historically, this research has resulted in numerous publications and presentations and has provided valuable evidence-based input into PIE’s curriculum and assessment practices. To find out more, visit the PIE research page.
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