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Indigenous Languages and Linguistics
Through this MA students receive training for careers as language researchers, post-secondary educators, and material developers, gaining expertise in communicative skills, language documentation, and analysis of a particular Indigenous language. Emphasis is placed on the language in its socio-cultural and educational setting. The learning model integrates Indigenous ways of knowing with linguistic analysis and documentation, featuring mentorship and participation in projects in addition to formal lectures and paper writing. Courses are taught by teams of Elders and knowledge holders, and academic experts on the language.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the University admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulation 1.3 in the SFU Calendar. In addition, applicants must be proficient speakers of the language (as assessed by a panel of speakers or community-appointed experts), or be advanced learners who have, at minimum, completed the SFU certificate in Indigenous language proficiency and/or the SFU diploma in Indigenous language proficiency or equivalent with a CGPA of at least 3.0.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic admission requirements, but can demonstrate significant knowledge and experience in Indigenous languages and linguistics may be considered for conditional admission.
Program Requirements
This program consists of course work and a project or thesis for a minimum of 32 units.
Students must complete one of
Students elicit, transcribe, organize, and analyze linguistic data collected from a native speaker of an unfamiliar, understudied, and often-unwritten language.
In-depth treatment of a selected area of Linguistics. Specific topics will vary from offering to offering.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| G320 |
Donna Gerdts |
TBD |
and all of
An introduction to the phonetics and phonology of a particular Indigenous Language, with special reference to pronunciation and perception.
An introduction to the morphology and syntax of a particular Indigenous Language, with special reference to sentence structure and word architecture.
Transcription, creation, and analysis of the rhetorical and discourse structure of narratives in an Indigenous language.
An investigation of a particular Indigenous language in its cultural, social, and cognitive context. Topics include: areal features, language families and dialects of Northwest languages, contact linguistics, gender, numeral classification, kin terms, anchoring language in time and space, expressing speaker’s viewpoint, oral traditions, place names, and ethnobiology.
Theoretical and practical aspects of teaching and learning Indigenous languages. Topics include an overview of innovative methods and the development of materials that enrich the language learning environment, with examples from multiple Indigenous languages.
and three units of graduate seminar from
An introduction to professional aspects in the field of Linguistics. Course consists of seminars, lectures and workshops. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
An introduction to professional aspects in the field of Linguistics. Course consists of seminars, lectures and workshops. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
and the requirements from either the course work, project, or thesis option
Course Work Option
and two of
In-depth treatment of a selected area of Linguistics. Specific topics will vary from offering to offering.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| G320 |
Donna Gerdts |
TBD |
In-depth treatment of a selected area of Linguistics. Specific topics will vary from offering to offering.
In-depth treatment of a selected area of Linguistics. Specific topics will vary from offering to offering.
In-depth treatment of a selected area of Linguistics. Specific topics will vary from offering to offering.
Topic of a specific nature to be agreed upon by the student and a faculty member.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| G320 |
Donna Gerdts |
TBD |
Project Option
and a project
Thesis Option
and a thesis
Students who are working on their Master of Arts thesis enroll in this course. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| G100 |
Panayiotis Pappas |
TBD | |
| G200 |
Panayiotis Pappas |
TBD | |
| G300 |
Panayiotis Pappas |
TBD | |
| G400 |
Yue Wang |
TBD | |
| G600 |
Henny Yeung |
TBD | |
| G700 |
Marianne Ignace |
TBD | |
| G800 |
Suzanne Hilgendorf |
TBD |
* With a topic focused on methods in language documentation.
** All repeatable for credit where topic is different. Graduate seminars will provide workshops on graduate project writing and organization, research design, and research ethics.
Program Length
Students are expected to complete the program requirements in six terms.
Other Information
Project Option
The MA Project for this degree is examined by two examiners. A student who fails may be permitted a second submission based on recommendations by the Examining Committee followed by a re-examination. Students present their projects individually or at a cohort project symposium and submit their projects to the Library. Examples of suitable projects are: a linguistic analysis of some aspect of the language, a practical grammar of an aspect of the language; analysis of language revitalization projects in communities (adult learning, language nest, enhancing language use); the production and presentation of a video that documents use of the language; a digital media project that integrates visual, audio, and textual resources in the language; an educational module for teaching the language; a museum exhibit that incorporates the language, or an annotated narrative or set of narratives transcribed, glossed, and translated into English.
Thesis Option
The MA Thesis complies with GGR 1.9-1.11 including submission to the library. Students also present the thesis research at a cohort project symposium.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.