Chair:  Ceil Lucas,  Ph.D.
Contact: Jayne McKenzie
Dawes House (DW)  101

TTY: 202-651-5450
Voice: 202-651-5450
FAX: 202-651-5741

The Department of Linguistics is unique in that all students and faculty in the department share an abiding interest in the study of American Sign Language (ASL). The ongoing, innovative research carried out by the linguistics faculty and graduate students is contributing substantially to what is known about the structure and use of sign languages. ASL is not only the subject of faculty and student research, but also the language of communication in the classroom.

In order to learn about how languages work, students must study specific languages. In a typical linguistics degree program the languages studied are produced by activity in the vocal tract. In our program, students study both vocally produced and signed languages, with considerable emphasis on ASL. This provides students with a broad understanding of language with a specialist's understanding of ASL.

The department's M.A. degree program is appropriate for students seeking linguistic knowledge as a foundation for work in such allied professional fields as language teaching, interpreter education, language planning, bilingual education, and language assessment. Students who complete the M.A. program may apply to pursue a Ph.D. in a range of theoretical and applied areas related to sign language in the department's Ph.D. program established in 2002.

Mission

The Department of Linguistics at Gallaudet University trains students at the Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. level to describe, analyze, understand and report on the structure, variation, acquisition and use of signed languages and the communities in which they exist. We engage our students with the foundational theories of the field of linguistics with special emphasis on problem solving, analytical thinking, and expository writing and signing. Our goal is to produce graduates who can function as outstanding professionals in academia or in any field or setting in which linguistic knowledge is applied.

Student Learning Outcomes

I. Students will engage in critical thinking and analysis of the constructs. claims, and conclusions of the fields that comprise the study of linguistics.

II. Students will learn about how the field of linguistics formulates and supports a claim and the arguments that support it and be able to demonstrate logical argumentation in their coursework.

III. Students will understand and use all aspects of technical writing, as practiced in the field of linguistics.

IV. a. Graduate students will demonstrate a working knowledge of professional level scholarly work in the field and be able to lead class discussions on such work.

V. b. Undergraduate students will demonstrate a working knowledge of pedagogical materials from the field.

VI. Students will display expressive and receptive competency in the academic uses of ASL and English.

VII. Students will understand and make use of the principles governing responsible conduct of scholarly inquiry, the principles of academic honesty set forth in the Gallaudet Graduate School Policy on Academic Honesty, and the guidelines and requirements of the Institutional Review Board, where appropriate.