The Department of Liberal Studies (DLS) has the task of broadening WSSU students’ liberal educational experience. Interdisciplinary studies are crucial to liberal education. A minor in Applied Language Studies will substantially contribute to the DLS’s successful completion of its core task. Applied Linguistics (AL) is an interdisciplinary field of research positioned at the confluence of Linguistics, Social and Educational Psychology, and Sociology, focusing on the study of all aspects of language use along variables such as social status, gender, cultural background, and occupation. The American Association for Applied Linguistics emphasizes the interdisciplinary character of the field: “Applied Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry that addresses a broad range of language-related issues in order to understand their roles in the lives of individuals and conditions in society. It draws on a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches from various disciplines–from the humanities to the social and natural sciences–as it develops its own knowledge base about language, its users and uses, and their underlying social and material conditions.”
Curriculum requirements:
ALS 1301 - Introduction to Applied Linguistics
ALS 2305 - Language, Culture and Cross-cultural Interaction
ALS 2310 - Englishes of the World
ALS 2315 - Gender Differences in Lanuage Use
ALS 2320 - Language and Society
ALS 3302 - Foundations of Second Language Acquisition
or other field-specific courses as determined by an advisor in the Department of Liberal Studies
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