Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Studies

Overview

It aims to provide students who already have a background in a foreign language and linguistics at undergraduate level with an opportunity to specialise at a postgraduate level in the areas of sociolinguistics, second language acquisition, corpus linguistics, bi- and multilingualism, second language pedagogy and the role of English in a globalised world. 

What makes this programme unique in Ireland is two-fold: the inclusion of Intercultural Studies, allowing students to expand their linguistic specialization to cognate (inter)cultural contexts such as intercultural competence and the interplay of language and culture; and the genuinely multilingual orientation of the programme focusing not only on English, but also other international languages like French, German and Spanish. 

The programme introduces students to academic research, new ideas and approaches. It aims to equip students with academic, analytical, creative and reflective skills in order to foster interest and involvement in research in the fields of applied linguistics and intercultural studies.

Career

The Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Studies programme from Maynooth University equips its students for entry into a number of career paths, as well as providing existing practitioners and professionals with an opportunity for continuous professional development. These include: teaching at various levels (including university), school management, the business world, politics, publishing and marketing, the media, public relations, journalism, materials development, adult education and support, and indeed further study to PhD level. The PhD in Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Studies at Maynooth University offers a tailored follow-on programme to the MA. Students will be able to engage deeply in researching a chosen topic in this area to qualify as a much sought-after specialist in applied linguistics and / or intercultural studies