Special Topics in 2026-2027

AI is transforming research and practice in applied linguistics and discourse studies. It presents great potential and challenges for language learning and teaching, language assessment, discourse and data analysis, writing instruction and development, plurilingual development and communication, among other sub-areas. It calls for new policies in education and for language management. This course aims to develop critical AI literacies for using AI effectively, responsibly, and ethically. It will do so by examining what AI is, how it works, what it can do, and what it should do. Participants will be invited to explore specific applications of AI in selected areas of ALDS and experiment with AI tools critically and reflectively for their own learning, research, and practice as developing language professionals.

• Instructor: Guillaume Gentil
• Prerequisite(s): Fourth-year standing; open to graduate students

This course offers an introduction to topics related to Indigenous languages in Canada and their intersections with applied and general linguistics. Through assigned readings, seminar discussions, invited speakers, and a semester-long Community Service Learning (CSL) project conducted in partnership with an Indigenous language organization in Canada, students will become familiar with the diversity and vitality of Indigenous languages in Canada, as well as broader connections with language education, language technology, and language advocacy and policy development.

• Instructor: Chris Cox
• Prerequisite(s): At least third-year standing

This course explores ethical issues in various areas of language research, including language description, language documentation, sociolinguistics, child language, and applied linguistics. Students will be introduced to macroethics, which covers general ethical guidelines for research involving human subjects, procedural ethics such as institutional and community approvals, and discipline-specific professional codes of conduct. The course also examines microethics, or ethics in practice, focusing on conflicts that may arise between formal ethical principles and real-world research situations, as well as strategies for addressing them.

The course prioritizes collaborative learning through in-class group work and class discussions.

• Instructor: Kumiko Murasugi
• Prerequisite(s): At least third-year standing in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, or Cognitive Science (Linguistics concentration), or permission of the instructor

This course explores one of the most iconic elements of Mexican and Hispanic cuisine—the tortilla. The course examines the tortilla’s origins in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, its cultural symbolism, and its evolution through colonial and modern periods. Students will learn about regional variations, traditional and industrial production methods, and the tortilla’s role in contemporary gastronomy and global food culture. Through lectures, discussions, multimedia resources, and hands-on activities, participants will gain a deep understanding of how this simple staple embodies identity, heritage, and resilience. The course combines historical analysis with practical engagement, inviting students to appreciate the tortilla as both a culinary art and a cultural artifact.

This course will be taught in English.

• Instructor: Carlos Valdez
• Prerequisite(s): None

This course provides a critical introduction to discourse studies in workplace contexts, drawing on applied sociolinguistic concepts. Real-world workplace scenarios and texts will be analyzed using concepts and methods from discourse analysis.

• Instructor: Rachelle Vessey
• Prerequisite(s): ALDS 1001, ALDS 2201 or ALDS 2202, and at least third-year standing

One common result of language contact is lexical borrowing. For example, English has borrowed the word tsunami from Japanese, and Japanese has borrowed the word picnic from English.  Sometimes these loanwords are pronounced in a way very similar to the original source language, but in other cases their pronunciation shifts – e.g., the word Christmas was borrowed into Hawai’ian, where it is pronounced [kalikimaka].  Likewise, sometimes the original meaning of a loanword is retained, but in other cases the meaning changes.  This seminar examines linguistic and social issues related to loanwords, including the question of who borrows words, what factors make a word more vs. less likely to be borrowed, and how loanwords are incorporated into a language’s phonology, morphology, and syntax. We will consider a variety of models, and see how loanwords can inform our understanding of the human capacity for language.

• Instructor: Karen Jesney
• Prerequisite(s): LING 2005, LING 2007, and at least third-year standing

Language is something we do, rather than something tangible. So how can you map it? This course offers a theoretical and practical approach to language mapping. We’ll begin with an introduction to the principles and methods of linguistic geography, the study of language in space. Along with a historical overview of two main types of language maps – language distribution maps and linguistic structure maps – from the emergence of the discipline until today, we’ll consider other kinds of linguistic representations that be considered maps: semantic maps, sociolinguistic network analyses, language classification taxonomies, and visual representations of language change over time. Yes, we will also wrestle with the use and misuse of AI in mapping. Description and critique of language maps and atlases using Anonby and Stone’s (2017, 2018) typology for analysis will be followed up by hands-on application of these principles through the construction of our own language maps by hand and using digital tools such as the open-source program QGIS.

• Instructor: Erik Anonby
• Prerequisite(s): At least third-year standing in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, or Geography, or permission of the instructor

An interdisciplinary course exploring the language within its social and cultural settings. Students will develop basic proficiency while examining how language shapes identity, communication, and traditions.

This course will be taught in English. Knowledge of Japanese is not required.

• Instructor: TBA
• Prerequisite(s): None

Are you a K-pop fan? Do you find yourself drawn to K-dramas/films like Squid Games or K-pop Demon Hunters? Perhaps you use Samsung, Hyundai, or LG products in your daily life, or maybe you’ve tried kimbap or bibimbap at a Korean restaurant.

From the global phenomenon of K-pop to a history that saw the peaceful impeachment of two presidents, and from one of the poorest countries in the world to the rise of global giants like Samsung and Hyundai – Korea is a land of fascinating contrasts and rapid transformations.

Taught in English, this course offers an immersive introduction to Korea’s dynamic society, unique cultural identity, and Hangeul, its unique writing system invented by one person.

Through engaging video clips, insightful articles, and authentic materials, students will explore captivating aspects of Korean etiquette, social customs, and vibrant pop culture.

No prior knowledge of Korean is required.

• Instructor: TBA
• Prerequisite(s): None

Italy is the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage sites.  It has 61 diverse designated locations in three main categories: World Heritage Sites (Cultural and Natural), Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Creative Cities.  

Using as a narrative thread Italy’s UNESCO sites, this course will explore artistic, historical, natural, and cultural dimensions of “Il Bel Paese”. Students will discover some hidden secrets of Italy and learn how to interpret the cultural value of Italian heritage sites. 

This course will be taught in English. No knowledge of Italian is needed. This course will be offered three hours a week.

• Instructor: TBA
• Prerequisite(s): None