The School of Linguistics and Language Studies (SLaLS) proudly houses cutting edge research. Learn more about the exciting research taking place in SLaLS below.
SLaLS Research in the News
Research Areas
Find our list of faculty here, and browse through their profiles to learn more about their research interests.
Research Labs, Centres, and Units
Language and Brain Laboratory
Director: Masako Hirotani
The goal of the Language and Brain Laboratory is to advance our understanding of the human language processing mechanism (i.e., the cognitive and neurological mechanisms used by humans to decode and interpret linguistic inputs).
Researchers at the Language and Brain Laboratory engage in innovative and cutting edge research in psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics.
Professor Masako Hirotani, Director of the Language and Brain Laboratory
ELK Centre
The ELK-Tech (Endangered Language Knowledge and Technology) group is co-facilitated by SLaLS faculty Erik Anonby and Kumiko Murasugi and includes members of global Indigenous endangered language communities working in collaboration with researchers and practitioners in the fields of linguistics, applied linguistics, Indigenous studies, geography and environmental studies, computer science, and information technology.
The Endangered Language Knowledge Sharing and Research Centre (ELK Centre) is a new space designed to facilitate, adapt and develop digital tools that enable endangered language communities in their aspirations and efforts to document and revitalize their languages.
Experimental Linguistics Research Hub (ELRH)
Co-Leads: Beth MacLeod, Karen Jesney and Tamara Sorenson Duncan
This new multipurpose space is being set up to support data collection and data processing for a wide range of linguistic research projects. For example, Dr. MacLeod is currently investigating links between perception and production using phonetic imitation tasks, Dr. Jesney has on-going research examining French liaison, and Dr. Sorenson Duncan is investigating teacher and parent perspectives about inclusion in French immersion. Graduate and undergraduate students are actively involved in research within the ELRH and also have a number of active and on-going projects.
Language Assessment and Testing Research Unit (LATRU)
Director: Dr. Angel Arias
The Language Assessment and Testing Research Unit (LATRU) carries out research related to assessment and test development.
LATRU engages in test development in both high and low stakes settings, and has overseen the development and initial validation of such tests as the Citizenship Application Test, the Oral Proficiency in English Communicative Settings (OPECS), the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, and numerous placement tests for college and university language programs.
Current LATRU research projects include SSHRC funded studies of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs in Canadian Universities (with Liying Cheng, Queen’s University; and Robert Berman, University of Alberta), and an examination of the impact of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) on second language (L2) learners (with Liying Cheng, Queen’s University; and Donald Klinger, Queen’s University).
Student Projects, Research, and Collaborative Interest Groups
The faculty’s dedication to research and theory-building translates into a school with many opportunities for students to engage in original research that matches their own interests and experiences.
An important aspect of the program is to involve students in original research and to encourage original contributions to the profession through presentations at conferences, and publication of their research and writing in various journals and publications.
Each year students from the SLaLS program present original papers at a variety of professional conferences. Students from the Carleton Applied and Theoretical Linguistics Society (CATL) and the Society of Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies (SALADS) have also organized mini-conferences to present their own research to their colleagues, professors and some of the professionals who work at SLaLS.
Previous graduate theses (since 2003) can be searched on the Graduate Studies website.
- Autism Research at the School of Linguistics and Language Studies
- Second Language Research Group
- Writing and Genre (WaG) Research Group
Carleton Papers in Applied Language Studies (CPALS)
Carleton Papers in Applied Language Studies (CPALS) was an annual journal of working papers examining the underlying theoretical principles of language teaching, learning, and research.