Welcome to the Department of Linguistics and Communication Disorders

The Department of Linguistics and Communication Disorders brings together specialization in theoretical, experimental and applied linguistics with leading clinically based research on speech language pathology and communication disorders. We incorporate current research in these fields into teaching on our highly ranked graduate and undergraduate programs.

For all information regarding major and minor applications and declarations contact:

For Communication Sciences and Disorders contact:
Gail A Oswald (Gail.Oswald@qc.cuny.edu)

For General Linguistics and TESOL undergraduate contact:
Maria Cadme (Maria.Cadme@qc.cuny.edu)

For TESOL Graduate contact:
Mitchell Proux (Mitchell.Proux@qc.cuny.edu)

For MA in Speech Language Pathology contact:
Eileen Sprague (Eileen.Sprague@qc.cuny.edu)

Scholarship Opportunity for CSD Majors

We are pleased to announce the JFEW Scholars Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders for the Fall 2024 semester – thanks to a generous grant from JFEW.

You may be one of the lucky recipients! Applications will be accepted until July 15, 2024!

The scholarship award has been increased to $2000 per semester!

More Information          Application

   Computational linguists are in high demand. They work on voice recognition, text to speech, and adding functions to all kinds of apps that interact with language. See this story about Zainab Akande, a 2022 General Linguistics grad, who is beginning her MA in Computational Linguistics at the CUNY Graduate Center.
   Click on the link for information about the General Linguistics major and Computational Linguistics minor or contact Prof. Bill Haddican

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Elizabeth Ijalba will be a featured speaker at the 2024 South Carolina Speech Language Hearing Association Annual Convention. She will present two lectures titled “Harnessing what multilingual/bilingual students bring to the classroom” and “Self-regulated learning and dynamic-assessment of oral/written language in multilingual students.”

Stephania Zanabria has won the Clara Franke Scholarship for this year!

Ashley Chang completed an Honors in the Social Sciences thesis on “Identifying the challenges of linguistically diverse students at the college level: Impact of language proximity on the second language.” She focused on determining whether the grammatical differences between a speaker’s first-language and English could influence their reading comprehension for complex sentences. Mentor: Elizabeth Ijalba

Erin Foo completed an Honors in the Social Sciences thesis, “My brother’s keepers: A case study of Malaysian-Chinese caregivers and their autistic son. She focused on understanding cultural differences in how Malaysian-Chinese families initially cope with a diagnosis of autism, face ongoing challenges, and how they evolve through the process. Mentor: Elizabeth Ijalba

Khánh Le, currently substitute Assistant Professor, is joining the department as tenure-track Assistant Professor as of Fall 2024. We are thrilled with this appointment. Khánh will be developing QC’s program in academic literacy for students who are multilingual learners and teaching courses in LCD and English.

Elizabeth Ijalba received the Rehabilitation International Centennial Award for Significant Contributions ($10,000) for her work in advancing the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities worldwide. Since 2018, Dr. Ijalba trained teachers to work with autistic children, through  a school serving over 10,000 children with speech language disabilities and autism throughout China.  www.riglobal.org

Khanh Le has received an award for second place for Outstanding Dissertation of the Bilingual Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association.

Mara Steinberg Lowe presented her findings  titled “How Does Cognitive Control Help Us Select the Words We Say?”at the RESEARCH AWARD: FELIKS GROSS & HENRY WASSER AWARD PANEL in April 2023.

Elizabeth Ijalba has been named a CUNY Career Success Fellow by the University Department of Transformation. In that capacity, she’ll be working for the next year and a half on helping our graduates make the transition from school to work.

Mara Steinberg Lowe published an article titled, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) for Individuals With Aphasia  in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, November 2023.

4 General Linguistics Undergraduates, Victoria LaRosa, Breanna Aarons, Erine Desir, and Idris Emerick presented a research poster “Attachment preferences in code-switched sentences” at the Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition in Spanish and General Linguistics: PSUxLing9, Pennsylvania State University  March 24. Mentor: Bill Haddican

Elizabeth Viccaro published an article titled, Knowledge and Perceptions of Speech-Language Pathology Students Participating in a Feeding Training Program: A Pilot Study in Seminars in Speech and Language, January 2023.

Mara Steinberg Lowe published an article titled, Role of cognitive control in resolving two types of conflict during spoken word production in Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, April 2023.

Elizabeth Viccaro was recently awarded the SPEAK OUT!® Program Development Grant, her fourth consecutive grant from the Parkinson Voice Project to provide continued support of the Reclaiming Your Voice program.

Daniel Kaufman’s ongoing collaborative work in mapping and documenting the languages of New York City has culminated in the release of the Digital Map of the Languages of New York City, which can now be seen at: www.languagemap.nyc

Mara Steinberg Lowe presented a research poster “Engaging CSD students in university-wide interprofessional education experiences using simulation” at the CAPCSD Annual Conference in Orlando Florida, April 2023.

The following article, Bill HaddicanCecelia CutlerMichael Newman,  & Christina Tortora (2022)  “Cross-speaker covariation across six vocalic changes in New York City English,” American Speech is the recipient of the Roger W. Shuy Award for the best article published in American Speech during 2022.

 

 

 

Speech-Language-Hearing Center

Clinic Director:  Kathy Downing
Administrative Assistant: Eileen Sprague
Office: Kissena Hall 2, Suite 100
Phone: 718-997-2930 or 718-997-2946
Fax: 718-997-2935

To reach us by public transportation, use the Q25, Q34 (via Kissena Blvd.), or Q64  (via Jewel Avenue), or Q88 (via Horace Harding) buses. Kissena Hall is located at 64-19 Kissena Boulevard.

Department Office

Office Hours are currently Monday-Thursday, 10-4.

Faculty can be reached by email and are holding office hours by phone or video-conference.

For all other matters, please send an email to the department secretary, or leave a phone message.

Department Leadership

Department Chair: Michael Newman
Associate Department Chair: Sima Gerber
Director of Applied Linguistics/TESOL Programs:  Lauren Heffernan
Director of General Linguistics Programs: Michael Newman
Director of Undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders Programs: Yael Neumann
Director of Graduate Speech-Language Pathology MA: Patricia McCaul

Office Personnel and Program Admissions

Department Secretary: Maria Cadme
Academic Program Officer for TESOL and Linguistics: Mitchell Proux
College Assistant for BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Gail Oswald
College Assistant for MA in Speech-Language Pathology: Eileen Sprague

Queens Hall, Room 300A
Phone: 718-997-2870
Fax: 718-997-2873