Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism Major

Thank you for your interest in the undergraduate major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism.

The American Association for Applied Linguistics (our discipline’s main international organization) defines Applied Linguistics in 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.

Accordingly, the undergraduate major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism at UCSC is an interdisciplinary major, drawing on knowledge from Anthropology, Cognitive Sciences, Education, Languages, Linguistics, Psychology and Sociology.

Students who graduate with the major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism will be well prepared for a variety of careers including, but not limited to: language education, speech pathology, translation/interpretation, international relations, and public service. Many of these careers require further study at the graduate level, and we anticipate that this major will be a solid academic foundation for students who wish to pursue an MA degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), MA in communication disorders/speech pathology, or Ph.D. programs in Second Language Studies or Second Language Acquisition (SLS or SLA programs).

Interested students should contact the Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics office early in their college career to obtain essential information about prerequisites, course sequencing and graduation requirements.

In order to gain hands-on experience with multilingualism, students who wish to major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism are strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. For information about locations, application deadlines and requirements, please visit: http://studyabroad.ucsc.edu/.

Degree Requirements

Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism Degree Requirements (effective July 1, 2021)

There are 60 overall credits required for the Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism major (10 lower-division and 50 upper-division), includes completion of level 6 of a foreign language.  See Program Major Requirements below for a breakdown of the credit requirements.

Declaring the Major

Students must complete level 4 of a non-English language (e.g., Chinese, 4, French 4, Italian 4, Japanese 4, Spanish 4) with a grade of B- or better, or have demonstrated equivalent proficiency prior to declaring the Applied Linguistics and Multinglingalism major.

However, completion of level 6 of an L2 is required for the major.

Honors

Students who wish to be considered for honors should meet the deadline posted by the Office of the Registrar for declaring the intent to graduate. Determination of honors is based on the student’s grades for all courses relevant to the major and other factors relevant to an assessment of academic excellence, such as research papers of professional quality. Generally, honors in the major are awarded only to students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher in relevant coursework. Only those students whose performance in coursework is excellent will qualify. Highest honors are awarded only to students whose performance in relevant coursework is outstanding (GPA of 3.90 and above) and who have completed an outstanding original research paper.

Letter Grade Policy

Effective July 1, 2020; Applies to students delcaring the major after this date.

A maximum of two courses that are used to satisfy the major requirements may be taken for a Pass/No Pass. Please note that the Level 4 course in the student’s chosen language and APLX 190 must be taken for a letter grade.

Advanced Language Courses

The following courses are approved for the advanced language course requirement for Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism major:

• Chinese 103:  Advanced Chinese:  Language and Society
• Chinese 104:  Advanced Chinese:  Readings in Literature
• Chinese 105:  Advanced Chinese:  Readings in History
• Chinese 107:  Advanced Chinese:  Introduction to Classical Chinese Prose
• Chinese 108:  Advanced Chinese:  Introduction to Classical Chinese Poetry
• French 111:  Stylistics
• French 114:  French Phonetics
• French 120:  French Linguistics
• French 121:  History of the French Language
• French 125A:  French Civilization: 19th Century
• French 125B:  French Civilization: 20th Century
• French 130:  French for Professions
• French 136:  La Francophonie
• Italian 100:  Advanced Italian Composition and Conversation
• Japanese 103-106:  Advanced Japanese
• Japanese 109:  Japanese Language, Culture, and Society
• Spanish 105:  Introducción a Spanish Studies
• Spanish 114:  Advanced Conversation and Composition
• Spanish 140:  Sounds of Spanish
• Spanish 141:  Advanced Spanish Grammar
• Spanish 150:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
• Spanish 151:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Varieties of Spanish
• Spanish 152:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish in the U.S.
• Spanish 153:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish Language Teaching
• Spanish 154:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Spanish Pragmatics
• Spanish 155:  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics: Languge Contact in the Spanish Speaking World
• Spanish 156A: The Language of Latin America Cinema
• Spanish 156E: Spanish Culture
• Spanish 156F: El Humor en Espanol
• Spanish 156J: Contemporary Central America
• Spanish 156L: Society And Sustainability In Latin America
• Spanish 156M: Mexico and the Southwest
• SpHS 115:  El ensayo lectura, analisis y redaccion 

Advising and Orientation

The earlier you declare your major in your academic career the better you will be able to plan your courses and the fulfillment of the requirements. If you declare your major early you will receive more guidance, useful advice and close follow up.

The Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics provides extensive orientation for the undergraduate major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism. It is very important you plan the prerequisite and requisite courses in the appropriate sequence so as to complete your studies in the expected time. 

Orientation is provided in two ways: quarterly large-group informational sessions, and small group or individual meetings with a faculty and/or staff advisor.

Individual/Small group Advising Sessions

If you are interested in pursuing the Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism major, have read all the information provided, attended an orientation session, and still have questions about it, do not hesitate to schedule a meeting with the Director, Assistant Professor Christian Ruvalcaba for an appointment or undergraduate advisor, Janet Morales. The sooner your questions are answered, the better position you will be in to complete the major on time. Advising hours with undergraduate advisor, Janet Morales, are via Zoom. Please email (languages@ucsc.edu) for an appointment. There is no advising on Fridays. 

Advising at UCSC

The main purpose of undergraduate academic advising is to guide students in clarifying and achieving their educational goals and in developing the most appropriate and efficient plan to achieve them.

Small-group and individual advising sessions are particularly useful because they give students an opportunity to meet the Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism staff and academic advisors and director, ask the questions they may have, receive additional information, clarification and guidance, and formulate a plan of study early enough in their career to fulfill their long term educational goals. Students are encouraged to sign-up for these sessions to receive the proper assistance with course selection, major planning, and required paper work. Routine progress check-ins are encouraged and advisable.

Additional information on advising can be viewed at the Undergraduate Advising Center website.

Career Advising

Students with a major or minor in the Humanities Division can sign up for 1:1 career advising appointments with the Humanities Career Engagement Specialist, Meredith Pelrine. Topics can include career exploration, job and internship searches, resumes and cover letters, interview prep, job offer evaluation and negotiation, and more. Appointments are available virtually and in person. To schedule, see Humanities Career Advising.

Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives

1. Proficiency in a second language. Students who successfully complete the Applied Linguistics major will reach an Intermediate-high level of proficiency in their primary second language (L2) as described in the scale of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Speakers who complete additional course work through study abroad (an aspect of the major that is very much encouraged) may reach the advanced-low level in their primary L2.

This objective is met through completing one language, levels 1 through 6, and two courses at the third-year level or above taught in the primary L2 (e.g., a literature class taught in the L2).

The Applied Linguistics major has four essential educational objectives and outcomes as outlined below:

2. Understanding contexts and processes of (second) language acquisition. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of processes of and issues relating to the acquisition of more than one language, bilingualism and multilingualism, including social, psycholinguistic and metalinguistic aspects of these processes. 

This objective is met through taking a number of core courses and relevant electives from several different disciplines and departments: Introduction to Applied Linguistics, Introduction to Linguistics, and Theories of Second Language Acquisition, for example.

3. Understanding the role and use of language in society. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of social aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism, and issues of language in social contexts. Students will also develop an understanding of how different disciplines work together to make sense of human communication in multilingual contexts: sociolinguistics, anthropology, linguistics, and education.

This objective is met through taking a number of core courses and relevant electives from several different disciplines and departments: Introduction to Applied Linguistics, topics in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology (language and gender, language and power), language and culture or intercultural communication, for example.

4. Research skills. Students will develop the receptive and productive skills necessary for becoming members of this community of practice. Specifically, they will develop the disciplinary skills to summarize, interpret, and critique both quantitative and qualitative research studies in applied linguistics.  Through this process, students will develop the ability to engage in independent reading of scientific texts and research articles, to design basic research projects as well as to collect, analyze and write about applied linguistic data.

This objective is met through taking an introductory course (Introduction to Applied Linguistics, APLX 80) and the Senior Capstone Seminar on Research in Applied Linguistics  (APLX 190).

Applied Linguistics Alumni Highlight

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