Master of Arts in Linguistics

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:

1. Apply linguistic theory to analyze, describe and document any language;
2. Use effective methods of language study and research;
3. Produce quality translation, examine and assess translated documents, and adapt them for successful communication;
4. Assist non-dominant language communities to cultivate and develop their own heritage languages within the context of their national language.

Theses and Independent Studies

• Theses and Independent Studies completed by students at the Linguistics Department.

Curriculum Structure

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
AL603 PHONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL605 GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL607 SEMANTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL608 SOCIOLINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL704 FIELD METHODS IN LINGUISTICS	4 (2-4-10)
AL706 LINGUISTIC DATA MANAGEMENT	2 (1-2-5)
Elective Courses	12 credits
AL703 LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION	3 (3-0-9)
AL710 HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-7)
AL711 ENDANGERED LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL712 ADVANCED GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL715 SEMINAR ON MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIAN LANGUAGE TYPOLOGY	3 (3-0-9)
AL720 TEXT ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL722 LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL723 TRANSLATION PRACTICUM	3 (3-0-9)
AL725 SEMINAR ON TRANSLATION AND COMMUNICATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL730 LEXICOGRAPHY	3 (3-0-9)
AL732 PRINCIPLES OF LITERACY	3 (3-0-9)
AL733 LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT METHODS	3 (2-2-8)
AL735 SEMINAR ON LANGUAGE PLANNING AND LANGUAGE POLICY	3 (3-0-9)
AL740 ANTHROPOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS	3 (2-2-8)
AL741 ANTHROPOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL742 LANGUAGE SURVEY	3 (3-0-9)
AL744 ADVANCED PHONOLOGY	3 (3-0-9)
AL746 ADVANCED SEMANTIC ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL748 SEMINAR ON TEXT ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL750 SELECTED TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL751 CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL752 DIRECTED READING	3 (3-0-9)
AL753 LINGUISTIC APPLICATIONS	3 (3-0-9)
Thesis	12 credits
AL799 THESIS	12 (0-0-36)
Total Number of Credits	42  credits

Plan B: Coursework and Independent Study

Core Courses	18 credits
AL603 PHONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL605 GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL607 SEMANTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL608 SOCIOLINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL704 FIELD METHODS IN LINGUISTICS	4 (2-4-10)
AL706 LINGUISTIC DATA MANAGEMENT	2 (1-2-5)
Elective Courses	18 credits
AL703 LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION	3 (3-0-9)
AL710 HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-7)
AL711 ENDANGERED LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL712 ADVANCED GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL715 SEMINAR ON MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIAN LANGUAGE TYPOLOGY	3 (3-0-9)
AL720 TEXT ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL722 LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL723 TRANSLATION PRACTICUM	3 (3-0-9)
AL725 SEMINAR ON TRANSLATION AND COMMUNICATION	3 (3-0-9)
AL730 LEXICOGRAPHY	3 (3-0-9)
AL732 PRINCIPLES OF LITERACY	3 (3-0-9)
AL733 LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT METHODS	3 (2-2-8)
AL735 SEMINAR ON LANGUAGE PLANNING AND LANGUAGE POLICY	3 (3-0-9)
AL740 ANTHROPOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS	3 (2-2-8)
AL741 ANTHROPOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL742 LANGUAGE SURVEY	3 (3-0-9)
AL744 ADVANCED PHONOLOGY	3 (3-0-9)
AL746 ADVANCED SEMANTIC ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL748 SEMINAR ON TEXT ANALYSIS	3 (3-0-9)
AL750 SELECTED TOPICS IN LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL751 CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTICS	3 (3-0-9)
AL752 DIRECTED READING	3 (3-0-9)
AL753 LINGUISTIC APPLICATIONS	3 (3-0-9)
Independent Study	6 credits
AL797 Independent Study	6 (0-0-18)
Total Number of Credits	42  credits

Faculty

	Stephen H. Doty, Ph.D. Head of Department Ph.D. Translation Studies, University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2007 M.A. Linguistics, University of Texas at Arlington, USA, 1977 B.S. Architecture, Lawrence Institute of Technology, USA, 1972
	Sigrid Lew, Ph.D Instructor Ph.D. Linguistics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Germany, 1993. (more details)
	Asst. Prof . Phinnarat Akharawatthanakun Instructor (full-time) Ph.D. Linguistics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2004. M.A. in Linguistics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 1998. B.Ed. in Education (1st honor), Srinakarinwirote University (Mahasarakham Campus), Thailand, 1992. (more details)
	Tyler M. Heston, Ph.D Instructor Ph.D. Linguistics, University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA, 2015 B.A. in Linguistics, University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA, 2011 (more details)
	Robert Wyn Owen, Ph.D Ph.D. Statistics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 1991 M.A. Linguistics, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2008 (more details)
	Douglas M. Fraiser, Ph.D Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Ecology (concentration in Anthropology), University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, 2007 (more details)
	Carlos Benitez, M.A. Ph.D. Candidate, University of Leiden, The Netherlands M.A. Linguistics, University of Texas, Arlington (more details)
	Assistant Professor, Audra Phillips, Ph.D. Ph.D. Linguistics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 2017 (more details)
	Douglas Maxton Inglis, Ph.D. Ph.D. Linguistics, University of Alberta, Canada, 2014 (more details)
	Taeho Jang, Ph.D. Ph.D. Linguistics, The Central University for Nationalities, China, 2003
	Linda Markowski, M.A. M.A. Linguistics, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2005 (more details)
	Ryan Gehrmann, M.A. M.A. Linguistics, Payap University, Thailand, 2015 (more details)
	Terry Gibbs Office Personnel
	Rattalanna Mingchuea Secretary (full-time)

Learn more