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CawingKro

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About CawingKro

  • Birthday August 2

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    redcod323

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  • Gender
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  • Location
    Chicago
  • Interests
    Poncho enthusiast, endangered cactus gardener, proud owner of an extremely grumpy African Pygmy Hedgehog, Quillvia Plath
  • Application Season
    2013 Fall
  • Program
    Linguistics

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  1. Alas, I too was rejected from Oregon--I guess it was a busy year for them! At least their rejection letter was super-polite. Also rejected from UW Madison. I have 3 more apps out (UoC, UHM and NEIU). Hopefully I don't end up a hobo...
  2. One afternoon, as all linguists do, I was sitting on my couch making weird noises, trying to figure out the non-English IPA symbols. I stumbled on the shaded parts of the graph, supposedly outlining impossible articulations. A velar trill is supposed to be impossible. Yet I'm fairly sure I managed it. It just involves nearly unhinging my lower jaw and make my tongue do some crazy backwards bending-folding thing. FYI, whatever I discovered, it's the Chewbacca noise.
  3. Hello all! I'm preparing for this coming application season, and I've run into a dilemma: My interests are in the documentation and revitalization of Amerindian languages. That's my shtick, and I'm sticking to it. However, I have two interests in the field: 1) Creating grammars, dictionaries, and teaching materials (with community input) 2) Helping create community-oriented language-learning programs, such as teacher-training, apprentice-master relationships, immersion techniques, etc. Are these two things too different to put in the same SOP? If it comes down to it, I'll stick with 1), but is it viable to put both in one SOP? If it helps, I'm applying to: University of Wisconsin (Madison) University of Oklahoma (Norman) Northeastern Illinois University University of Oregon (Eugene) University of Hawaii (Manoa) Thanks!
  4. Weirdly enough Betty Birner actually showed up to the meeting and proceeded to have two margaritas. She said the program would be good for you, and someone commented "Betty's got a new best friend!" You should contact her. This is really weird that I went out drinking with your POI. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful...
  5. I'm actually currently attending there! I'm an undergraduate doing the linguistics minor. But from what I understand it's a pretty good program. I'm actually meeting with the Linguistics Society of DeKalb tonight (LSD, haha), which is composed entirely of graduate students (except me), so I will pose this question to them at the meeting and get back to you later tonight. Sorry for the not-really-a-response!
  6. Oh right, the ever-elusive statement of purpose...I should probably start writing one of those. I've looked at a few online related to linguistics ( http://www.studential.com/personalstatements/getpscourse.asp?type=31 ), but all of the examples listed there seemed a bit blasé to me. Anyway, I trust you people more. Anyone care to send me a copy of their gorgeous SOP?
  7. I love it when he says it's a scientists job to NOT understand things, and to ask hard questions that said scientist may never answer. Perhaps I'm a bit wackadoodle in that I find the prospect of not understanding things exciting. If we -did- understand everything, life would be very boring, and we wouldn't need scientists in the first place! On a more pragmatic note, perhaps I will take up being one of those fake mermaids in Las Vegas as a possible fallback career....
  8. I studied for three months with Kaplan's GRE test prep book, and took two or three timed practice tests, which also came with the writing prompt. I am just excruciatingly horrible at standardized tests. -Everything- on the math section was a challenge to me; I had to relearn everything I've forgotten since high school, and I hadn't been around math in a very, very long time. The sad, sad thing about this? I actually tested HIGHER on the real test than I did on the practice tests (I jumped up from the 13th percentile to the 18th in math). I actually reviewed geometric and algebraic formulas AGAIN the week before the test (wrote each of them out 20 times to memorize them). As far as pacing goes, I paced myself fairly well (I had time at the end of the session to go back and review my answers). I'm just not good at doing math under pressure, especially because none of my current academic disciplines involve it (English major, double-minor in linguistics and anthropology). All of which means I would have to study, study, study...on top of the semester starting. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I wasn't working, doing a research assistantship, being a Teaching Assistant for Sign Language classes, doing an online internship transcribing Ventureno Chumash, conducting my own independent research project, and acting as an officer in three organizations on-campus...all at the same time. In short, I was really banking on all that studying paying off. I guess I sort of screwed myself there.
  9. Howdy! I'm glad I'm not the only one with an absurdly long list of schools (9). My area of interest: the revitalization of languages indigenous to the North American continent. I'll list off my schools, as well as the language I'd study there (I'd rather geographically close to a body of native-language speakers than to go to a particular university majorly far away from any such population). University of Hawai'i at Manoa (MA) -Hawaiian or Hawaiian Sign Language (I have a background in American Sign Language) University of Montana (MA) -Apssalooke (Crow) University of Oregon (MA) -Chinook Wawa, Santiam, Wasco-Wishram, or Tenino University of Oklahoma (MA in Applied Linguistic Anthropology) -Kiowa (They have a KILLER Native languages program, and you can take Kiowa for foreign language credit) Eastern Michigan University (MA) -Unsure Northeastern Illinois University (MA--though this school is sort of scraping the bottom of the barrel) -Unsure (Though there is an active Native community in and around Chicago) University of California Santa Barbara (PhD) -Unsure (Sadly, there are dozens of endangered languages in CA, so I haven't picked on as yet) University of Arizona (PhD) -Maricopa, Mohave, Jicarilla, or Acoma-Laguna University of Wisconsin Madison (PhD) -Oneida or Menominee Are there any programs I should take off/add to this behemoth of a list? I'm applying straight from undergrad, so I'm a wee bit nervous (hence the neurotic preparedness)
  10. First and foremost: 159 Verbal/144 Quantitative *wince* --yeah, I know it's bad. I just took the test today, so I don't have my written score yet, though I'm fairly confident about that one. Is this the death knell for me? Why it might not be: I'm currently an undergraduate, and am pretty well-rounded everywhere else: I have research experience, teaching experience, knowledge of two languages other than English (Tagalog and American Sign Language), an absurdly high GPA (3.9), and three linguistics professors I have a great relationship with, who I know will write me good LOR's. I know -exactly- what I want to study--Native American language revitalization, with a focus on community-based language-development programs (I've even completed an internship in that area). I know which programs are a good fit for me, where the faculty in my area of interest are, and how to write a good SOP to reflect that. My question is: is it enough? The school year is about to start, and I'm crazily bogged down with extracurriculars, my research assistantship, my independent research project, and I don't know how on earth I would scrape together the time and the money to re-test. I I studied all summer, but I'm not sure that shows. In short....help? Also, not sure if it'll help, here's the list of schools I'm applying to: University of Hawai'i at Manoa (MA) University of Montana (MA) University of Oregon (MA)*** University of Oklahoma (MA in Applied Linguistic Anthropology) Eastern Michigan University (MA)*** Northeastern Illinois University (MA--though this school is sort of scraping the bottom of the barrel)*** University of California Santa Barbara (PhD) University of Arizona (PhD) University of Wisconsin Madison (PhD) ***Programs marked either do not require the GRE for entry (EMU and NEIU) or have directly expressed that they place more importance on the verbal and writing section than so the math (U Oregon)
  11. I am applying straight out of undergrad, though I believe I have a reasonable chance of getting into a program. Blurb about me: I'm an English major with a double-minor in linguistics and anthropology, with a 3.9 GPA. I have completed four semesters of American Sign Language, and by the the time I graduate I will have been a Teaching Assistant for two semesters, as well as had two semesters of leading a language-learning lab for beginner ASL students. By my graduation date, I also will have completed another foreign language requirement in Tagalog (my school doesn't offer any Native languages). I've been working as a URAP student ("Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program") helping a linguistic anthropology professor with his research (three semesters of doing that by the time I graduate). From April of this year to August of this year I will be interning as a transcriber to help with language revitalization efforts of the endangered Native language Ventureno. I'm applying for the Fall 2014 semester, but I was trying to put together a solid list of six or seven programs to apply to. My MAIN interest is Documentation/Revitalization of Native American languages, though I have a secondary interest in linguistic anthropology (specifically storytelling and the oral tradition/mythology). The programs I'm strongly considering, are: University of Montana (MA) University of Wisconsin-Madison (PhD) Northeastern Illinois University (MA--though they only offer partial funding) Arizona (Joint PhD in linguistics and anthropology) University of Chicago (Joint PhD in linguistics and anthropology) Are there any other programs I'm overlooking?
  12. I'm a senior in my undergraduate career, graduating May of next year. I'm interested in anthropological linguistics, language documentation and language revitalization, specifically of Native American languages. Come the Fall I'm applying to University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (yeah, wish me luck on that one), University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Indiana at Bloomington, and University of Montana. The only language I'm proficient in other than English is American Sign Language, and I'll probably know conversational Tagalog by the time I graduate. I'm just a confused undergrad trying to make her way in the world. My passtimes include spinning fire, enthusing about ponchos, and watching Sailor Moon with my pet hedgehog.
  13. I am currently nearing the undergraduate career (I graduate in two semesters), and I was going to have to start applying to graduate schools for their Fall deadline (AND take the GRE, eep!). I am an English major with a Linguistics minor, and I have taken 4 semesters of American Sign Language, and by the time I graduate, I will have taken 2 semesters (10 credit hours--it's an intense class) of Filipino (I'm learning it for personal reasons--my partner and his family are first-generation emigrants from the Philippines). I have a 3.9 GPA. I am on the elected board of my school (Northern Illinois University)'s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, as the Historian and Webmaster. I am also active in two other clubs (one a religious organization focused on paganism, and the other focusing on the mythologies from cultures around the world). I am not the best at standardized tests, so I was wondering how much weight programs actually placed on your GRE scores--is your statement of purpose more important? What scores on the GRE should I shoot for? I'm worst at the quantitative sections (reading those confusing graphs will be the DEATH of me; I stink at math, but by comparison to that skill-level, I'm an algebra genius). A little about my course history: I've taken several linguistic classes (Fundamentals of English Grammar, a general linguistics class, a linguistic anthropology class, and one specifically on the structure of modern English). I aim to take more--specifically, Phonetics and Phonology, and Linguistic Anthropological Research Training (an independent study class--I will have to develop a thesis, run experiments, and my final grade depends on how I organize and present my findings), and possibly Language and Gender. A little about my work history: I'm currently an Undergraduate Research Apprentice, helping a linguistic anthropology professor with a research project of his, analyzing data. I start an online internship in March, (more info here: http://linguistlist.org/internship/browse/intern-browse-announceProcess.cfm?id=4552122 ), helping transcription work to revitalize a dead Native American language. I also hold a more mundane student-worker job in the campus computer labs. Taking my current course history and work history into account, is their anything else I can do to make myself a stronger candidate? As an undergraduate applying to doctoral programs, I will be competing with people who have Masters degrees for these programs. The problem is, I'm not terribly certain WHICH programs would be the best fit for me. My ultimate goal is learn and study endangered Native American languages (especially Apsaroke--Crow Nation--and Ojibwe, though I'm open to others as well), and help with documentation and revitalization efforts. My greatest interest is in Linguistic Anthropology. I really want a program that has a good working relationship with the local Native peoples. I would very much like to jump straight into a PhD program (or a doctoral program that has an MA option after the first few years of study), though I realize that may be impractical; I am open to getting an MA first. I am also limited in the respect that I will only consider schools that offer funding (given my financial situation, loans are not an option). I understand that PhD programs are more likely to be funded than MA programs. Another problem is my geographical constraints. I would prefer not to stray too far from Illinois and my long-term partner, and we both have family in and near Chicago. I'm looking at Montana (though I'm a bit dubious because of the distance, and I would definitely like to return to the Midwest after finishing their MA program), University of Wisconsin at Madison (they offer Ojibwe), University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (also offers Ojibwe), and University of Indiana at Bloomington (they offer Lakota, though their MA-to-PhD program may not offer funding for their MA levels, in which case I need to cross them off the list). Are there any other programs I'm overlooking? NOTE: I have emailed these programs for more information and browsed their websites and course listings, but still remain somewhat in the dark about the questions I've raised above. I'm also arranging advising interviews with some of my school's linguistics faculty, but they've been out of school for a long time, and I fear the system may have evolved since their stints in grad school, and their advice may not be as valuable. I'm seeking advice from many sources, not just the internet (lol).
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