Training and specialization in linguistic anthropology or sociolinguistics are available, after proper grounding in the four fields of anthropology. Such specialization typically begins in the second year and may involve taking various courses in linguistics and related disciplines outside the department. A large consortium of language and linguistics professors is available, drawing upon faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, and the School of Communications and Theater. Where applicable, students even may be encouraged to attend the summer institute of the Linguistic Society of America in order to avail themselves of specialized courses in particular theoretical, methodological, topical, or geographical areas. Linguistic anthropology at Temple emphasizes the ideological and material basis of language and, therefore, encourages students to examine language not simply as a means of communication but also as a commodity of value, as a means of production, and as power.

Linguistic Anthropology Teaching Laboratory

The Linguistic Anthropology Teaching Laboratory - the "LingAnth Lab," for short - is a resource for both pedagogy and research, providing work space and technological support for linguistic anthropology courses (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as for independent research projects that involve collection and analysis of audio and/or audio-video data. The LingAnth Lab makes it possible for linguistic anthropology students and others with similar interests (e.g., cultural anthropology students whose work focuses on oral histories or performances) to receive hand-on training in data collection and analysis.  It is also a center for faculty research projects, both individual and collaborative in nature.

To these ends, the LingAnth Lab is equipped with technological resources for collecting and working with ethnographic audio and audio-video data.  The lab's equipment includes:

  • Digital video (MiniDV) recorders

  • Digital audio (MiniDisc) recorders

  • Microphones, headphones, tripods, and other accessories

  • A MiniDisc deck

  • An integrated VHS/CD/DVD deck and television monitor

  • A Macintosh computer workstation

As a teaching laboratory, the LingAnth Lab serves as a meeting room for upper-level linguistic anthropology courses, particularly advanced seminars that make ongoing use of the lab's equipment.  It also provides office space for graduate instructors and teaching assistants who are assigned to our undergraduate linguistic anthropology courses, and is regularly used as a meeting place for faculty committees, doctoral committees, and other small working groups.   Last but not least, the LingAnth Lab provides an informal meeting place and workplace for our cohort of linguistic anthropology graduate students.  For additional information contact Paul Garrett.

Niyi Akinnaso and Paul Garrett examine audio-video data with graduate student Kyle Owens in the Linguistic Anthropology Teaching Laboratory.