2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/concentration/second-language-acquisition-teacher-education/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/

for the Graduate Concentration in Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

Graduate Degree Programs participating in Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

The concentration in SLATE requires a minimum of 28 hours of graduate-level coursework and is open to PhD students in the participating Departments.

Admission

PhD students in any of the participating Departments are admitted into the program with the consent of their advisor and the Director of the SLATE program. A coursework prerequisite (LING 400 - Introduction to Language Structure) is required, and either it or an equivalent course must be completed prior to admission. If a student believes they have completed an equivalent (or more advanced) course than the prerequisite, s/he may submit a petition to the Director of SLATE requesting that course to be substituted for LING 400. Petition forms and instructions, as well as an admission form, are located on the SLATE website.

for the Graduate Concentration in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Language Structure | | | | Select two of the following: | | 8 | | LING 501 | Syntax I | | | LING 502 | Phonology I | | | LING 541 | Syntax II | | | LING 542 | Phonology II | | | LING 550 | Sociolinguistics II | | | LING 551 | Pragmatics | | | LING/EALC 430 | Intro to East Asian Ling | | | FR 416 | Structure of French Language | | | GER 465 | German Linguistics | | | GER 520 | History of the German Language | | | For courses below, only some sections satisfy SLATE requirements. A list of the specific sections that will count toward satisfying SLATE course requirements will be posted at: www.slate.illinois.edu/students/courses/. | | | | SPAN 558 | Sem Spanish Synchronic Ling (some sections) 1 | | | FR 529 | Studies in French Linguistics (some sections) | | | GMC 562 | Germanic Linguistics (some sections) | | | ITAL 450 | Italian Syntax & Phonology (some sections) | | | SLAV 480 | Intro to Slavic Linguistics (some sections) | | | EALC 550 | Seminar in EALC (some sections) | | | And other courses as approved by the SLATE Director and Executive Committe | | | | Psycholinguistics/Sociolinguistics | | | | Select one of the following: | | 4 | | CI 562 | Linguistics and the School Curriculum | | | LING 450 | Sociolinguistics I | | | LING 550 | Sociolinguistics II | | | LING 560 | Seminar in Bilingualism | | | PSYC 524 | Dev Psycholinguistics | | | PSYC 525 | Psycholinguistics | | | For courses below, only some sections satisfy SLATE requirements. A list of the specific sections that will count toward satisfying SLATE course requirements will be posted at: www.slate.illinois.edu/students/courses/. | | | | SPAN 558 | Sem Spanish Synchronic Ling (some sections, e.g., "Sociolinguistica Hispanica") | | | FR 529 | Studies in French Linguistics (some sections, e.g., "Language and Gender") | | | SPAN 588 | Sem Second Lang Learn ((some sections)) | | | And other courses as approved by the SLATE Director and Executive Committee | | | | Second Language Studies | | | | Select one of the following: | | 8 | | LING 529 | Second Lang Acq & Bilingualism | | | EPSY 487 | Principles of Language Testing (EIL/FR/GER/ITAL/PORT/SLS/SPAN 460 Principles of Language Testing) | | | EPSY 590 | Advanced Seminar in Educational Psychology (Section BE: "Discourse Analysis in Second Language Acquisition"; Section N: "Second Language Acquisition, a Developmental Perspective") | | | EPSY 563 | Theories in Second Language Acquisition (CI/EALC/EIL/FR/GER/ITAL/LING/PORT/SPAN/SLS 584 Theories in SLA) | | | For courses below, only some sections satisfy SLATE requirements. A list of the specific sections that will count toward satisfying SLATE course requirements will be posted at: www.slate.illinois.edu/students/courses/. | | | | EIL 587 | Seminar in Second Lang Studies (some sections) 1 | | | EALC 550 | Seminar in EALC (some sections) | | | CI 499 | Issues and Development in Education (some sections, e.g., "Foundations of Bilingual/Multilingual Education") | | | CI 590 | Seminar for Advanced Study of Education (some sections, e.g., "Second Language Reading and Writing") | | | SPAN 588 | Sem Second Lang Learn (EALC/FR/GER/ITAL/LING/PORT/SLS 588 -- some sections) | | | And other courses as approved by the SLATE Director and Executive Committee | | | | Research Methods | | | | 1. Select one of the following: | | 4 | | LING 514 | Design and Methodology in Linguistic Research | | | EPSY 480 | Educational Statistics (And one course from 2.) | | | 2. An advanced course in quantitative or qualitative research (selected in consultation with student's advisor) that is related to the student's research topic including (but not limited to) courses on the following list: | | 4 | | LING 514 | Design and Methodology in Linguistic Research | | | EPSY 590 | Advanced Seminar in Educational Psychology ( Section AE: "Theoretical and Methodological Issues in SLA Research") | | | EPSY 578 | Qualitative Inquiry Methods | | | EPSY 584 | Multivar Anlys in Psych and Ed | | | EPSY 580 | Statistical Inference in Education | | | EPSY 582 | Advanced Statistical Methods | | | SPAN 588 | Sem Second Lang Learn (EALC/FR/GER/ITAL/LING/PORT/SLS 588 -- some sections) | | | For courses below, only some sections satisfy SLATE requirements. A list of the specific sections that will count toward satisfying SLATE course requirements will be posted at: www.slate.illinois.edu/students/courses/. | | | | CI 509 | Curriculum Research (some sections) | | | EIL 587 | Seminar in Second Lang Studies (some sections, e.g., "Language Assessment and Data Handling") | | | And other courses as approved by the Director and the SLATE Executive Committee | | | | Language Requirement | | | | In order to earn a SLATE concentration, students must demonstrate competence in a second language. For native English speakers, a "second language" can be the second language of research/teaching, or, for those concentrating on ESL as the subject of research and teaching, any second language. For non-native speakers, the proficiency in English that is required for admission is considered more than adequate to fulfill this requirement. This requirement is designed to ensure the full appreciation and understanding of what it means to experience the learning of a second language. Second language competence is assessed in a variety of ways, to be determined by the student's advisor. | | 0 | | Total Hours | | 28 |

Other Requirements (may overlap)

Grad Other Degree Requirements

Requirement	Description
A student may request that another course they have taken be substituted for one that is on any list.
Courses applying toward fulfillment of the SLATE course requirements must be taken for a minimum of 3 graduate credit hours.
At least 5 of the required courses must be taken in residence at UIUC. Students are advised to contact the SLATE Director with any request to have courses taken elsewhere accepted as equivalents for any of the UIUC courses on the list.
Of the courses required for the SLATE concentration, at least four (4) must be at the 500-level.
A single course may count toward only one requirement. For instance, LING 550: Sociolinguistics II could fulfill either the Psycholinguistics/Sociolinguistics requirement OR be counted as one of the courses toward the Linguistics/Language Structure requirement, but not both.
In addition to the graduate concentration requirements, students must also complete the requirements of their major degree.
In order to earn a SLATE concentration, the student's dissertation topic must be related to one or more aspects of second language studies. The SLATE Executive Committee verifies that the content qualifies.

for the Graduate Concentration in Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

By the end of their Ph.D. in French, Second Language Acquisition, students will be able to demonstrate the following:

Language: students display Advanced-High to Superior proficiency in French and in English in all forms and modes of communication (oral, written; interpretive, presentational, interpersonal), as well as high intercultural competence and effectiveness, and Intermediate-Mid or above proficiency in a third language in all forms and modes of communication (oral, written; interpretive, presentational, interpersonal). See ACTFL guidelines.
Teaching: students are able to expertly teach French as a foreign language at the novice and intermediate levels, informed by updated research and grounded in principles of proficiency-oriented curriculum (e.g., setting learning objectives and appropriate lesson plans, distinguishing between teaching and learning, efficient and inclusive classroom and course management practices, valid and adaptive assessment methods, design and revision of syllabi, programmatic coordination and sequencing etc.)
Specialized knowledge in French studies: students can recall, relate, explain, discuss, and utilize specialized knowledge in at least two areas of French studies (e.g., translation; studies in Francophonie; 18th century literature, etc.)
Expert knowledge in applied linguistics: students demonstrate expert and timely knowledge of theories, concepts, and debates in areas of French applied linguistics, language curriculum and development, and both quantitative and qualitative research methods consistent with research in the field of French and Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education
Research: students are able to expertly evaluate, design, conduct, write about, present, publish, and defend research about French in Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education, primarily in the shape of a dissertation
Professionalism: students demonstrate ethical practices in teaching and researching French and Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education (e.g., ongoing professional development; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; mentoring and/or supervising; collegial collaborations; outreach efforts, etc.), and preparedness to become competitive on the academic job market related to French and Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education (e.g., preparation to job interviews; CVs and cover letters; teaching/research/DEI statements; sample syllabi, etc.)

for the Graduate Concentration in Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

Director: Dr. Kiel Christianson\ SLATE website\ SLATE Faculty\ 4080 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801\ (217) 333-3390

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