Living Language stands out as a unique class with university-wide exposure, offering a compelling opportunity for a graduate student who is passionate about language.
Are you seeking an exciting Teaching Assistantship and interested in joining an innovative, university-wide course? Co-taught by Dr. Bryan Gick (Linguistics, UBC-V) and Dr. Elena Nicoladis (Psychology, UBC-O), Living Language: Science and Society is an interdisciplinary ‘transition out’ course. Here, 3rd and 4th year students at UBC-V and UBC-O will examine, integrate, and apply their subject-specific knowledge through the lens of language and the framework of language sciences, with a focus on themes of real-world importance. The course will be offered fully online.
Structure
Living Language is capped at 40 students drawn from the faculties at UBC-V and UBC-O below, and will be taught in the 2025W2 session, from January to April 2026. The class is structured around online lectures by Professors Bryan Gick, Elena Nicoladis, and invited language leaders from across both campuses and the wider community, complemented by student-led reflections and presentations.
- Faculty of Arts (ASTU 402)
- Faculty of Applied Science (APSC 402)
- Faculty of Education (LLED 402)
- Faculty of Forestry (FRST 402)
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS 402)
What the course entails
Through the course, students will lead their own exploration of language across various domains of human life, from the creation and acquisition of spoken language to writing systems, diverse texts, arts, culture, science, and technology. Student reflections include individual written and oral work, small group discussions, constructive critiques of peers’ work, and assignments in which students collaborate in interdisciplinary groups to address specific questions of problems.
Expectations
We are looking for a senior graduate student (Ph.D. student preferred), who possesses excellent organizational skills and a track record of working with students and leading discussion groups. The teaching assistant will work closely with the instructors to fine-tune the classes and support students with online assignments, including providing feedback on written and oral work and holding virtual office hours. The teaching assistant is also responsible for organizing and maintaining a log of student participation, assignments, and other class-related activities.
Hours per week: 12
Duration: January 1, 2026 – April 30, 2026
Apply
Send résumé (including teaching and professional experience), the names and contact information of two references, and a cover letter to Mona Chu at language.sciences@ubc.ca
Application deadline: 11:59pm Friday, August 29