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Linguistics in Ecuador

Study Abroad 2024

Amazonian Ecuador is ethnically and linguistically diverse. Speakers of Quichua, Shuar, Achuar, and Waorani have a long history of of intercultural and interlinguistic interactions. Students will have opportunities to interact with Quichua, Shuar and Waorani speakers at the field school and for Wao speakers, within their territories as well. This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn these languages and to learn about language documentation. When their program is completed, students will have a deeper understanding of their linguistic discipline through comparing and contrasting how it is practiced outside of a formal classroom setting.

The Linguistics in Ecuador International Study Program is held only during summer terms of even years. See you in 2024!

More Information

  • Students must register for 6–9 credit hours during summer term from the listed courses. Anthropology students doing thesis research usually enroll for 6 credit hours of ANTHR 495R.

    ANTHR 495R – Ethnographic Field Project (6 credit hours)
    FLANG 101R – First Year Quechua (3 credit hours)
    FLANG 102R – First Year Quechua (3 credit hours)
    FLANG 201R – Second Year Quechua (3 credit hours)
    LING 551 – Anthropological Linguistics (3 credit hours, counts as elective credit for Linguistics majors)
    LING 580R – Independent Research in Linguistics (3 credit hours, with permission of Professor Nuckolls)

    Anthropology students doing thesis research usually enroll for 6 credits of ANTHR 495R.

    Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.

  • Students will be comfortably accommodated at the Andes and Amazon Field School, which is housed within the Centro Iyarina, near Tena, Ecuador. See https://www.andes-fieldschool.org/

  • $5,000–5,500.

    Includes Latter-day Saint, undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate and non–Latter-day Saint students), housing, three meals each day, in-country transportation, and international health insurance coverage.

    Does not include airfare or personal expenses. Students are also responsible for any travel they may wish to do in other parts of Ecuador during the break between the June and July sessions.

  • Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs. FLAS funding is available for graduate students and for undergraduate students who have had prior Quichua language experience (see kennedy.byu.edu/flas/). Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a study abroad scholarship and may be considered for other scholarships. They must indicate on their original online application that they want to be considered for financial aid. Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).

  • Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airfare reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

    BYU Travel | 280 HRCB | (801) 422-6293 | travel@byu.edu

  • Students wishing to conduct linguistic fieldwork are encouraged to complete at least one of the following courses before leaving for Ecuador: LING 110, LING 201, or ELANG 223. Anthropology students must have taken ANTHR 442.

    All students who are accepted into the program are expected to register for IAS 201R – Ecuador Study Abroad Preparation (1 credit hour), class held during the second block of winter semester 2022. Part-time BYU and non-BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee.

    All participants are required to show proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination by the time the preparation course begins.

  • Students must be 18 years of age or older. Complete the online application at https://kennedy.byu.edu/isp-program/ecuador-linguistics. A non-refundable $35 application fee is required. Applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete. Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance. Please refer to the Payment Information document (see https://kennedy.byu.edu/isp-payment-information).

  • Janis Nuckolls is the faculty director of the program. She is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Brigham Young University and has been conducting research in Ecuador for over twenty years.
    (801) 422-3448 | janis_nuckolls@byu.edu

  • Students should plan to be in Ecuador the entire duration of the program and refrain from scheduling late arrivals or early departures.

  • International Study Programs
    101 HRCB
    (801) 422-3686
    isp@byu.edu

  • International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost. If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU financial account. ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.