About Sociolinguistics (Research), MA - at Newcastle University

This course explores 20th-century history of linguistics and the philosophy of linguistics. Tensions between different conceptions of language, the issues surrounding research methodology in linguistics, sociolinguistics and the sociology of language are examined. This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) recognised course is designed to prepare you for doctoral study.

The course combines a mixture of generic research training modules with more specialised modules covering research training and specific linguistic knowledge. You will gain a working knowledge of the methodology and skills in quantitative and qualitative research in language and linguistic studies. You will carry out a literature review, independent fieldwork, and undertake sociolinguistic analysis using a variety of mathematical and computational tools. We offer supervision in the following areas:

Linguistic theory

• syntactic theory and comparative syntax
• phonological theory
• morphophonology and morphosyntax
• philosophy of language
• philosophy of linguistics
• architecture of the language faculty

Language variation and change

• historical/diachronic linguistics
• variationist/comparative linguistics
• sociolinguistics
• grammaticalization
• dialect syntax
• corpus analysis
• linguistic typology

Language evolution, acquisition, and development

• first language acquisition and development
• the acquisition of second language morphosyntax and phonology
• evolutionary linguistics

What you'll learn

You'll gain a working knowledge of the methodology and skills in quantitative and qualitative research in language and linguistic studies.

You'll carry out a literature review and independent fieldwork. You'll undertake sociolinguistic analysis using a variety of mathematical and computational tools.

Research skills

You have a unique opportunity to acquire a wide range of methodologies and exposure to diverse theoretical perspectives to enrich your own research. We have a wide range of research supervisors you can work with.

We offer subject-specific research training, including specialised practical workshops on statistical packages and software used in corpus linguistic methodologies. This specific training complements the research training programme you will be part of as a postgraduate research student.

Student work in progress meetings

Our 'student work in progress' meetings give you the opportunity to present your work to a student audience. You'll get instant feedback and discussions around your research.

Special interests group

Our special interests groups also facilitate researchers with common interests to share ideas, develop new skills and gain feedback on their work. The groups meet regularly and include topics like:

• language variation and change
• theoretical phonology
• corpus linguistics
• syntax
• language and cognition

Guest lectures

Internationally renowned linguistic researchers have previously given guest lectures, recent speakers include:

• Professor Ellen Bialystok, York University, Toronto
• Professor J K Chambers, University of Toronto
• Professor David Pesetsky, MIT
• Professor Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Stanford University

Facilities

The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is a lively and diverse community with over 700 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates.

We are based in the Percy Building. Our purpose-built postgraduate suite includes:

• several dedicated computer clusters
• meeting rooms
• a kitchen
• lounge area

Find out more about the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics

The award-winning Philip Robinson Library has an extensive audio-visual collection.

Linguistics postgraduates also benefit from a dedicated space reserved for members of the Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Sciences. This space provides a range of resources, including access to linguistics software (eg Childes, Clan, Elan, Praat), linguistic corpora (eg DECTE, ICE, ICAME), and specialised equipment such as the eye tracker.

The generic research training modules are part of our Faculty Training Programme, designed specifically for postgraduate research students. The Programme provides a community made up of postgraduate social sciences and humanities students and staff. It is a unique blend of cross-disciplinary and generic researcher development training, recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as providing a solid basis for doctoral study.

Although your focus will be on your specialist study, our aim is for you to develop a broad range of research and project management skills that will support you in your career ahead. We have nurtured a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and supportive environment where staff and students from across the world can come together and share their research experiences.

You also have access to the award-winning Robinson Library, which has an extensive audio-visual collection.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact Newcastle University to find course entry requirements.

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