The Graduate Linguistics Department was founded in 1989, in collaboration between Payap University and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). Today over one hundred graduates from Asia, the Pacific Rim, the Americas and Europe belong to the Linguistics Department alumni.
Southeast Asia hosts many languages belonging to five entirely different language families: Tai-Kadai, Tibeto-Burman, HmongMien, Austroasiatic and Austronesian. Relatively little is known about the number, classification and affiliation of individual languages in the region, and many of them are endangered. Only appropriately trained linguists can investigate these languages, provide guidance to the many communities who aspire to document, preserve and cultivate their cultural heritage, and skillfully translate or train to translate materials into their language. With an eye to meeting this need, the Linguistics Department offers a strong field-linguistics focused degree right in the center of where these languages are spoken.
The Linguistics Department aims to train future linguists who are able to promote the analysis, description and documentation of the languages spoken particularly in Asia, fostering the ability of language communities to develop and maintain their own languages, including the production of quality translation.
Graduates of the program have the knowledge, ability and skill to:
- Apply linguistic theory to analyze, describe and document any language;
- Use effective methods of language study and research;
- Produce quality translation, examine and assess translated documents, and adapt them for successful communication;
- Assist non-dominant language communities to cultivate and develop their own heritage languages within the context of their national language.
Theses and Independent Studies
Curriculum Structure
Core courses:
- All students must complete six (6) core courses, for a total of eighteen (18) credits.
Elective courses:
- Students will select electives appropriate to their program of study in consultation with their program advisor.
- Students who choose the Thesis option (Plan A2) must choose four (4) elective courses, for a total of twelve (12) credits.
- Students who choose the Independent Study option (Plan B) must select six (6) elective courses, for a total of eighteen (18) credits.
- Both Thesis (Plan A2) students and Independent Study (Plan B) students must take elective courses from the following:
1. At least one (1) three-credit course from any Group 1 (general electives)
2. At least one (1) three-credit course from any Group 2 (advanced electives)
3. From any Group 1 and/or Group 2 and/or any graduate level course offered by an accredited Payap University graduate program with the approval of the Linguistics Department administration.
To fulfill the graduation requirements, students must write a Thesis (Plan A2), or an Independent Study paper (Plan B).
- Students who choose Plan A2 will write and defend a Thesis for a total of twelve (12) credits.
- Students who choose Plan B will write and defend an Independent Study paper for a total of six (6) credits. Students who choose this option must first take a comprehensive examination
Plan A2: Coursework and Thesis
| Core Courses | 18 credits |
| Elective Courses | 12 credits |
| Thesis | 12 credits |
| Total Number of Credits | 42 credits |
Plan B: Coursework and Independent Study
| Core Courses | 18 credits |
| Elective Courses | 18 credits |
| Independent Study | 6 credits |
| Total Number of Credits | 42 credits |
Faculty
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Carlos Benitez, M.A.
Head of Department
carlos_benitez@sil.org |
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Douglas M. Fraiser, Ph.D.
Instructor
doug_fraiser@sil.org |
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Elissa Ikeda
Instructor
elissa.ikeda@gmail.com |
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Assistant Professor, Audra Phillips, Ph.D.
Instructor
phildra@gmail.com |
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Douglas Maxton Inglis, Ph.D.
Instructor
dinglis@ualberta.net |
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Taeho Jang, Ph.D.
Instructor
taehojan@gmail.com |
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Linda Markowski, M.A.
Instructor
linda_markowski@sil.org |
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Robert Wyn Owen, Ph.D.
Instructor
wyn_owen@sil.org |
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F. Jason Diller, Ph.D
Instructor
fdiller@asu.edu |
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Ryan Gehrmann, M.A.
Instructor
ryan_gehrmann@sil.org |
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Terry Gibbs
IT Support
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Rattalanna Mingchuea Secretary
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