Department of Linguistics Labs and Research Groups
Western's Linguistics Department offers undergraduate linguistics majors the opportunity to engage in research in several fields.
Our Labs
Language and Neural Systems Lab
In our LNS Lab, students are investigating the effects of musical training on phonetic perception.
Sentences, Sounds, and Letters in Perception, Production, and Processing Labs
In our SSLIPPP research projects, students and faculty are examining the effects of written language on the perception, production, and processing of spoken language, using our sound booth and eyetracking labs.
Documentation, Analysis, and Revitalization in Linguistics Lab
The DARLing Lab aims to work alongside communities in revitalizing languages by providing linguistic analysis and documentation, developing language learning materials and resources.
Our Research Groups
Heritage Language Research Group
The Heritage language research group seeks to investigate the language experiences and language attitudes of speakers who grew up speaking a language other than English at home in the U.S., or in any country where the home language is not the official or the majority language.
Language Learning Research Group
The language learning research group explores how students learn languages, how linguistic training impacts the language learning experience, and how language learning outcomes are impacted by pedagogical and programmatic interventions.
Linguistics and Education Research Group
This research group focuses on integrating linguistic knowledge into K-12 education
Other opportunities to engage in research
Many of our classes offer the opportunity to get involved in research; these include Field Methods (LING 441) in which students are involved in doing elicitation with speakers of a lesser-studied language; Sociolinguistic Fieldwork (LING 404) in which students learn about conducting ethical research and then do their own, out in communities; and the upper division capstone courses, LING 411, 421, and 431.
..... and lots more!
Academic conferences
Fellowships
Linguistics Club