1. Linguistics Graduate Student Orientation August 18, 2016
Graduate Concentration in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE)
Linguistics Graduate Student Orientation
August 18, 2016

2. Director – Prof. Melissa Bowles (bowlesm@illinois.edu)
What is SLATE?
Interdisciplinary PhD graduate concentration, with faculty and students from 3 Colleges and 11 departments across campus
The first such concentration in the US, started here in 1983.
Director – Prof. Melissa Bowles

3. Mission of SLATE
To provide a focal point and catalyst for bilingualism, foreign/second language and heritage language research and practice at UIUC.
By promoting coordinated teaching, research, and outreach activities through which students and faculty can engage intellectually and professionally.
Approximately 30 faculty and 100+ graduate students

4. PhD students enrolled in the following home departments are eligible:
Anthropology
Communication
East Asian Languages and Cultures
French and Italian
Germanic Languages and Literatures
Linguistics
Psychology
Spanish and Portuguese
Educational Psychology
Curriculum and Instruction
Speech and Hearing Science

5. SLATE Activities Annual SLATE Graduate Research Symposium (every May)
Poster presentations by SLATE students
Invited talks by UIUC and outside researchers
SLATE Conference Travel Grants
(1 competition in Fall, 1 in Spring)
2- $250 awards made each semester to support graduate student travel to present research at conferences
Annual reception
Sponsored courses/seminars
Lecture Series featuring invited speakers
Professional development workshops (publishing, interviewing, etc.)
Reading and research groups
Conference sponsorships

6. In addition to participating in the activities of the SLATE community, SLATE students who complete the requirements receive the SLATE graduate concentration designation on their transcripts upon graduation.
Excellent job placement

7. SLATE Requirements Required coursework (28 hours):
Linguistics/Language Structure (2 courses)
Sociolinguistics/psycholinguistics (1 course)
Second Language Studies (2 courses)
Research Methods (2 courses)
Courses can count toward your requirements in Linguistics and SLATE simultaneously.
Dissertation:
Your dissertation must involve some aspect of second/foreign/heritage language research or teaching.

8. Getting involved in SLATE
If you are interested in SLATE, please contact me to sign up for the listserv.
Benefits:
You will be kept informed about SLATE activities and events and become part of the intellectual community.
You will receive s each semester about which courses automatically count toward SLATE coursework requirements.

9. Adding the Graduate Concentration
Once you have completed the SLATE coursework requirements, you can officially add the graduate concentration.
Do this by filling out a Graduate College petition to add a graduate concentration. This is routed through your DGS and ultimately comes to me for approval.
The graduate concentration cannot be added retroactively (once you have deposited your dissertation.)

10. Contact information
With questions about SLATE at any time, contact either or write to me directly