Linguistics - Applied Linguistics (MA)

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4. Masters
5. Applied Linguistics

About This Course

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Fact File

• Title

  Linguistics - Applied Linguistics

• Code

  MAAPL

• College

  Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences

• Duration

  1 Year Full-time

• Teaching Mode

  Full-time

• Qualifications

  MA

• EU Fees

  €6,130
  See Fees and Costs for full details.

• Non-EU Fees

  €16,700

• Entry Requirements

  Candidate must have a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) which includes a language. See Requirements for full details.

• Closing Date

  Open for EU applications, check rounds closing under How to Apply

• Non-EU Closing Date

  30 June 2023

• Start Date

  11 September 2023

Course Outline

This course will provide you with the tools to describe language from various analytical perspectives and with insight and training in various branches of applied linguistics. A further component of the course relates to the development of research skills in terms of methodological training for conducting research in this field. There will be a number of invited guest speakers who are international specialists in their field, and who reflect student interests in a particular year. A thesis component allows specialisation on a research topic of specific interest to you.

While previous study of linguistics is not required, the course will specifically interest you if you are a language graduate or have an interest in a language-related career, such as language teaching, journalism, communications, media, speech and language therapy.

This one-year MA course will appeal to a wide range of people, including present and future language teachers, and those interested in the various areas of linguistics.

In the first semester, students are introduced to the basics of linguistics, including: 

• phonetics and phonology
• morphology and syntax
• pragmatics and semantics
• sociolinguistics
• second language acquisition

 The second semester offers modules in areas of specialisation, i.e.   

• language and identity
• critical discourse analysis
• language teaching and post-colonialism
• introduction to second/foreign language teaching methodologies
• language policy and practice

The course begins in the second week of September, with course teaching ending in early April. You submit your thesis in early October. The course involves attendance at lectures and seminars, the writing of course papers and completion of other assessed tasks.

The range of module topics on offer is subject to staff availability.

The modules are complemented by a number of seminars on research methods in applied linguistics, as well as guest lectures by international specialists in the field.

Former speakers include:

• David Crystal (University of Wales, Bangor),
• Ruth Wodak (University of Lancaster),
• Christoph Schröder (University of Potsdam),
• Wilfried Stötting (University of Oldenburg),
• Jeff Kallen (Trinity College Dublin),
• Fiona Gibbon (University College Cork),
• Carmen Munoz (University of Barcelona),
• Richard Towell (University of Salford),
• Anne O'Keeffe (University of Limerick),
• Barbara Schmenk (University of Waterloo/Canada)
• Diarmait Mac Ghiolla Chriost (Cardiff University/England)
• Margaret Deuchar (University of Bangor/University of Cambridge).
• Veronika Koller (University of Lancaster)
• Clive Earls (University of Maynooth)
• Helen Kelly Holmes (University of Limerick)

For further details and module descriptions, see the Postgraduate College Calendar

Course Practicalities

The course generally includes three two-hour weekly lectures and seminars led by different members of the lecturing team. Individual supervision is provided for the purposes of the minor thesis component through regular meetings between you and your supervisor. The course teaching is complemented by recommended reading lists provided by individual lecturers. The course is assessed by assignments in various forms such as practical exercises, oral presentations and essays. A minor thesis is also a requirement.

Barbara Siller 

Barbara Siller is the Director of the MA Applied Linguistics. She is Lecturer in the Department of German where she teaches Linguistics and Literature.  Her teaching and research interests in linguistics include Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Code-Switching, Translation and Self-Translation, and Critical Discourse Analysis, in particular, Identity/Alterity Discourses.

Anne Marie Devlin

Anne Marie Devlin is a lecturer in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences where she teaches language acquisition and research methodology. Her research interests include Second Language Acquisition, in particular, the impact of Study Abroad on the acquisition of social aspects of language; the enactment of identity; and Pragmatics. In addition, she is interested in Computer-Mediated Discourse, especially how it’s used to enact political identities.

Martin Howard

Martin Howard is Senior Lecturer in French and Applied Linguistics. His research interests lie in the areas of Second Language Acquisition, with particular reference to the acquisition of French, Sociolinguistics (particularly of French and English; Canadian Studies, with special reference to the (socio-)linguistic study of French-English bilingualism, Dynamics of Canadian French, French Immersion Education, Variation Theory and the application of Sociolinguistic Variationist Approaches to Second Language Acquisition, French Language and Linguistics.

Dragan Miladinović 

Dragan Miladinović is College Language Teachter in the Department of German. He is also the coordinator of the German Languages-for-All-programme as well as for the German evening classes. His research interest lies in critical migration research and critical applied linguistics on the one hand, in language teaching, teacher training and performative approaches to language teaching on the other.

Emma Riordan

Emma Riordan is College Language Teacher at the Department of German and Teaching and Learning Officer for the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. She is an active member of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics and the Association of University Language Centres. Her research interests include language policy, classroom language use, languages teaching methodologies and curriculum design.

Annarita Magliacane

Annarita Magliacane holds a joint Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from University College Cork and the University of Naples Federico II, Italy (where she attended the Ph.D. course in Mind, Gender and Language). Her main research interests lie in Second Language Acquisition, Study Abroad, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics and Language Variation. In particular, in her research, she investigates the emergence and use of second language pragmatic markers in the spoken production of learners of English during study abroad experiences. Annarita has also been teaching English as a second language in the Language Centre at University College Cork for many years and she is an honorary fellow in English Linguistics at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. 

Seána Ryan 

Seána Ryan currently works as a College Language Teacher, with responsibility for coordination and teaching of first-year beginner Spanish language programmes. Her research interests include Sociolinguistics, with a particular focus on Afro-Hispanic language and identity, and the role of language in migration, as well as the phonetics and phonology of Spanish as a global language. Her current research project examines the position of the Spanish language in post-colonial Africa, and its role in the successful, or otherwise, integration of Afro-Hispanic immigrants in Spain.

Sara Lis Ventura

Sara Lis Ventura is a PhD-candidate in the Department of Italian in University College Cork. She worked as an Italian Language Teacher in Italy, India and South Korea before she came to Ireland.  Her research interests include multimodal discourse, digital storytelling, language production and creativity, the use of games in FL teaching. Her current project focuses on Digital storytelling in teaching Italian as a Foreign Language

Why Choose This Course

This course will provide you with a solid grounding in various branches of applied linguistics, while at the same time allowing you considerable scope for specialisation in a research area of interest to you through the thesis component. You will also receive training in research methods, allowing you to develop generic skills which you will continue to draw on in your future career as well as in subsequent study at doctoral level.

Skills and Careers Information

What can I do after I graduate with an MA in Applied Linguistics?

This MA programme will specifically interest language graduates and those with an interest in language issues in society and a language-related career. Given the diverse branches of Applied Linguistics, students have considerable scope for specialisation in a research area of specific interest to them. A further strength of the programme is the training students receive in Research Methods, thereby developing generic skills which graduates will continue to draw upon in their future careers as well as in subsequent study at doctoral level for example.

Occupations associated with Applied Linguistics

-          Language teaching and education

-          Journalism

-          Communications

-          Media

-          Public relations

-          Speech and language therapy

While these are examples of career areas, the generic and transferrable skills developed on the MA programme will be helpful in all career paths.

What are our graduates doing?

Past graduates are pursuing careers in a wide range of areas, such as language teaching and education, communications, journalism, speech and language therapy, among others. Some graduates also choose to continue their studies at doctoral level through the Ph.D. programme in Applied Linguistics that is offered at University College Cork. The generic skills that underlie the Research Methods training and the skills of analysis and interpretation that underlie the programme as a whole have been shown to be particularly fruitful in graduates’ subsequent professional and academic lives.

Commenting on her experience of the programme, U.S. student, Caitlin Jacobs writes,

“The professors teaching the MA in Applied Linguistics classes all made themselves very accessible both inside and outside the classroom. I enjoyed the group cohesion that came from having all of my classes with the same group, and the small size allowed discussions to be particularly rich.”

Requirements

Candidate must have a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8)which includes a language.

Students with a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) will be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), subject to adequate proof of relevant additional work experience or background knowledge as assessed by the programme coordinators in an interview.

Fees and Costs

The EU fee for this course is €6,130.

The Non-EU fee for this course is €16,700.

How Do I Apply

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

This course will provide you with the tools to describe language from various analytical perspectives and with insight and training in various branches of applied linguistics. A further component of the course relates to the development of research skills in terms of methodological training for conducting research in this field. There will be a number of invited guest speakers who are international specialists in their field, and who reflect student interests in a particular year. A thesis component allows specialisation on a research topic of specific interest to you.

While previous study of linguistics is not required, the course will specifically interest you if you are a language graduate or have an interest in a language-related career, such as language teaching, journalism, communications, media, speech and language therapy.

This one-year MA course will appeal to a wide range of people, including present and future language teachers, and those interested in the various areas of linguistics.

In the first semester, students are introduced to the basics of linguistics, including: 

• phonetics and phonology
• morphology and syntax
• pragmatics and semantics
• sociolinguistics
• second language acquisition

 The second semester offers modules in areas of specialisation, i.e.   

• language and identity
• critical discourse analysis
• language teaching and post-colonialism
• introduction to second/foreign language teaching methodologies
• language policy and practice

The course begins in the second week of September, with course teaching ending in early April. You submit your thesis in early October. The course involves attendance at lectures and seminars, the writing of course papers and completion of other assessed tasks.

The range of module topics on offer is subject to staff availability.

The modules are complemented by a number of seminars on research methods in applied linguistics, as well as guest lectures by international specialists in the field.

Former speakers include:

• David Crystal (University of Wales, Bangor),
• Ruth Wodak (University of Lancaster),
• Christoph Schröder (University of Potsdam),
• Wilfried Stötting (University of Oldenburg),
• Jeff Kallen (Trinity College Dublin),
• Fiona Gibbon (University College Cork),
• Carmen Munoz (University of Barcelona),
• Richard Towell (University of Salford),
• Anne O'Keeffe (University of Limerick),
• Barbara Schmenk (University of Waterloo/Canada)
• Diarmait Mac Ghiolla Chriost (Cardiff University/England)
• Margaret Deuchar (University of Bangor/University of Cambridge).
• Veronika Koller (University of Lancaster)
• Clive Earls (University of Maynooth)
• Helen Kelly Holmes (University of Limerick)

For further details and module descriptions, see the Postgraduate College Calendar

The course generally includes three two-hour weekly lectures and seminars led by different members of the lecturing team. Individual supervision is provided for the purposes of the minor thesis component through regular meetings between you and your supervisor. The course teaching is complemented by recommended reading lists provided by individual lecturers. The course is assessed by assignments in various forms such as practical exercises, oral presentations and essays. A minor thesis is also a requirement.

Barbara Siller 

Barbara Siller is the Director of the MA Applied Linguistics. She is Lecturer in the Department of German where she teaches Linguistics and Literature.  Her teaching and research interests in linguistics include Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Code-Switching, Translation and Self-Translation, and Critical Discourse Analysis, in particular, Identity/Alterity Discourses.

Anne Marie Devlin

Anne Marie Devlin is a lecturer in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences where she teaches language acquisition and research methodology. Her research interests include Second Language Acquisition, in particular, the impact of Study Abroad on the acquisition of social aspects of language; the enactment of identity; and Pragmatics. In addition, she is interested in Computer-Mediated Discourse, especially how it’s used to enact political identities.

Martin Howard

Martin Howard is Senior Lecturer in French and Applied Linguistics. His research interests lie in the areas of Second Language Acquisition, with particular reference to the acquisition of French, Sociolinguistics (particularly of French and English; Canadian Studies, with special reference to the (socio-)linguistic study of French-English bilingualism, Dynamics of Canadian French, French Immersion Education, Variation Theory and the application of Sociolinguistic Variationist Approaches to Second Language Acquisition, French Language and Linguistics.

Dragan Miladinović 

Dragan Miladinović is College Language Teachter in the Department of German. He is also the coordinator of the German Languages-for-All-programme as well as for the German evening classes. His research interest lies in critical migration research and critical applied linguistics on the one hand, in language teaching, teacher training and performative approaches to language teaching on the other.

Emma Riordan

Emma Riordan is College Language Teacher at the Department of German and Teaching and Learning Officer for the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. She is an active member of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics and the Association of University Language Centres. Her research interests include language policy, classroom language use, languages teaching methodologies and curriculum design.

Annarita Magliacane

Annarita Magliacane holds a joint Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from University College Cork and the University of Naples Federico II, Italy (where she attended the Ph.D. course in Mind, Gender and Language). Her main research interests lie in Second Language Acquisition, Study Abroad, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics and Language Variation. In particular, in her research, she investigates the emergence and use of second language pragmatic markers in the spoken production of learners of English during study abroad experiences. Annarita has also been teaching English as a second language in the Language Centre at University College Cork for many years and she is an honorary fellow in English Linguistics at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. 

Seána Ryan 

Seána Ryan currently works as a College Language Teacher, with responsibility for coordination and teaching of first-year beginner Spanish language programmes. Her research interests include Sociolinguistics, with a particular focus on Afro-Hispanic language and identity, and the role of language in migration, as well as the phonetics and phonology of Spanish as a global language. Her current research project examines the position of the Spanish language in post-colonial Africa, and its role in the successful, or otherwise, integration of Afro-Hispanic immigrants in Spain.

Sara Lis Ventura

Sara Lis Ventura is a PhD-candidate in the Department of Italian in University College Cork. She worked as an Italian Language Teacher in Italy, India and South Korea before she came to Ireland.  Her research interests include multimodal discourse, digital storytelling, language production and creativity, the use of games in FL teaching. Her current project focuses on Digital storytelling in teaching Italian as a Foreign Language

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

• In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.

• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.