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Linguistics Experiential Learning Grant

Brigham Young University’s Department of Linguistics annually awards up to four undergraduate experiential learning scholarships. These scholarships are meant to financially help undergraduates participate in experiential learning that the students would otherwise not have the funds for. Each scholarship is for a minimum of $1,000, and the funds may be used for any aspect of experiential learning.

Experiential learning at BYU is defined on the BYU website as follows:

“Experiential learning at BYU should develop disciplinary skills and practice, foster broad, boundary-crossing professional competencies, inspire greater learning, and imbue habits of lifelong learning in students. It also should help students master and use subject matter; increase capacity to deal with complex and new situations; develop skills for lifelong learning; clarify values; and develop the capacity to contribute to their communities.”  (https://experience.byu.edu/)

With this definition of experiential learning in mind, the scholarship money can be used for, among other things, any expenses incurred in conducting research (payment of subjects, travel to collect data, materials, etc.), costs associated with travel or living expenses for an internship (especially one that is unpaid), living expenses needed to complete your degree, costs to participate in a study abroad, expenses related to ongoing research with a professor in our department, or other mentoring experiences that would provide experiential learning in the fields of linguistics, applied english linguistics, editing and publishing, and TESOL.

In order to apply for the scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time, be either juniors or seniors in one of the department’s undergraduate majors (Linguistics, Applied English Linguistics, and Editing and Publishing) and should have a clear reason for the use of the scholarship. Preference may be given to students with financial need and/or a strong academic record.

As part of the application, students will need to include justification for the need and use of the funds, a proposed budget, and a timeline for using the funds. In addition, students need to ask a faculty member from our department to write a brief letter of recommendation. (Please share the instructions below with the faculty member).

Grant recipients will be informed via email.

Applications closed February 15, 2024
Next year's application will open early 2025

For the faculty member — Please include the following in your letter of recommendation:

  • How well do you know the student? (Scale of 1-5; 1 [I don’t know this student at all] 3 [I’m familiar with this student but haven’t interacted with this student one-on-one] 5 [I know this student well])
  • In one or two sentences, please describe whether you feel this scholarship would be beneficial for this student, especially in terms of experiential learning.
  • In a maximum of 100 words, provide a brief recommendation for this student.

You can send the recommendation to Sherri Hadfield at sherri.hadfield@byu.edu or the student can attach the letter as a PDF to their application.