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wandering_tine

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  • Location
    Virginia
  • Application Season
    2013 Fall
  • Program
    MS SLP

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  1. Yep, but comp ling is not for the faint-hearted. When I started out, I foolishly thought that you could train a linguist to be a programmer more easily than you could train a programmer to be a linguist. A few comp ling courses changed my mind. :-)
  2. I'm also a linguist-turned-SLP-grad student. I second what GandalftheGrey has said regarding a Lx background being helpful and also regarding Lx being a lot more than liking languages (although that helps!) -- it's really more about liking Language with a capital L. I'd recommend you read Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct, and perhaps a good intro to Lx text like the one by Fromkin & Rodman to gauge your interest. I'll add that how competitive it makes you may very well depend on the programme you're applying to and how much stock it puts in linguistics -- I've spoken to some programmes where they've looked at my background, encouraged me to apply, and effectively waived all pre-reqs, while another (not to be named) told me that they wouldn't accept any of my coursework as it wasn't taught by an SLP in the context of an SLP department. Based on the little that I've seen in the courses I'm taking, it seems to me that the SLP profession as a whole would be somewhat enhanced if there were more folks with a linguistics background in the field. I hope no one takes that comment as snarky, but I've got classmates who are still a little rough as to what a morpheme is and instructors (SLPs) whose competence in certain relevant areas of linguistics leaves something to be desired. Bottom line is that I have the lx degrees and no other SLP background. Applied to the school that encouraged me and was accepted. But that's an N of 1, so it's hard to say what will be right for you. Another thing to note: an MS in Lx might not be worth much on the job market unless you were to combine it with a TESL certification. So you may get very little return on your investment unless you can find a programme that will fund you, and that's more likely if you pursue a doctorate.
  3. I'll agree with kcald on this one: it's a matter of personal preference, knowing you learning style, and, of course, what is possible/feasible given one's personal situation. I chose an online programme because we ended up moving to a city a couple of months ago (and we are *not* moving again!) where there's only one school and I didn't get a good vibe from the department when I initially contacted them. The online experience can be good: I'm taking a couple of pre-reqs this term and found a pal in each of them fairly early on (and one or two good classmates, wherever they are, is worth a lot to me). I've also had one fantastic learning experience, as the instructor is extremely good and highly responsive. The other experience is dismal, and although I don't think that is a result of the online nature I DO think its poor quality is facilitated and enhanced by the fact that the instructor is, well, distant. One thing that necessarily occurs in online courses is the delay in feedback: one student asks a question, another student sees it the following day, the instructor responds 24 or 36 hours later, other students see the response. In a classroom setting, all of this happens in real time and everyone present is on the same page. That can be a nuisance, but in my opinion it's surmountable. I also think that the experience in a cohort-based graduate programme, whether online or on-campus, is going to be much different than the experience of a few online courses outside of a degree programme. In one semester, there's simply not enough time to forge relationships and, as many of us know, there will always be students who are at different levels or who aren't as motivated. In the end, it's a personal decision, but it's a good one for me!
  4. Anyone here who has been accepted to JMU's distance programme? Just curious!
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