I think SLS is a huge 'ohana (family) to me. It taught me a lot about the different perspectives of different cultures, and to me more understanding and aware of students' or teachers' perspectives.
Kallen Lin
SLS major, aspiring teacher, and multilingual speaker
Courses Needed for the SLS Major
The course requirements and electives for the SLS major total 33 credits. Listed below are the core and elective courses for those students who declared SLS as a major as of Spring 2025. For those who declared SLS as a major in Fall 2024 or earlier, please click here to see the major requirements. To see when these are offered, please view our schedule of courses.
Major Requirements (15 credits/5 courses):
- SLS 301 - Basic Language Concepts* (DS)
- SLS 302 - Second Language Learning (WI)**
- SLS 303 - Second Language Teaching (OC)
- SLS 304 - Sociolinguistics of Multilingualism (DS, WI)
- SLS 485 - Professionalism in SLS (major only)
Electives (18 credits/6 courses)※:
- SLS 311 - Second Language Testing
- SLS 312 - Second Language Teaching: Reading & Writing (OC)
- SLS 313 - Second Language Teaching: Listening & Speaking (OC)
- SLS 408 - Multilingual Education (DS, WI)
- SLS 418 - Instructional Media (OC, WI)
- SLS 430 - Pidgin and Creole English in Hawai‘i (DS, HAP)
- SLS 455 (crosslisted with LLEA 455) - Learn & Teach World Languages
- SLS 460 - English Phonology (DS, OC)
- SLS 475 - Practicum for Future Language Professionals
- SLS 480(alpha) - Topics in Second Language Studies***
300- and 400-level courses from other fields of study may be used as electives, if approved by an SLS advisor.
One elective (3 credits) can be a lower division course in SLS:
- SLS 130 - Introduction to Pidgin in Hawai‘i (HAP)
- SLS 150 - Learning Languages and Communicating in a Globalized World (FGC)
- SLS 170 - Language by the Numbers (FQ)
- SLS 218 - Second Language Learning & Technology
- SLS 250 - Topics in Learning and Using Second Languages
- SLS 280 - Bilingualism: Cognition and Culture
More Information
*LING 320 can be used to fulfill the SLS 301 requirement.
**SLS 302 is the primary prerequisite course in the department. The official listing in the UH Mānoa catalog says "prerequisite (or concurrent)". This means other SLS courses can be taken during the same semester as 302.
***Topic areas for SLS 480-alpha are:
-
- 480P = Second Language Pedagogy
- 480R = Second Language Research
- 480U = Second Language Use
- 480N = Second Language Analysis
- 480E = Second Language Learning
※Up to three upper-division elective courses may come from other departments, as approved. Courses from other departments must be upper division (300 or higher), and related to linguistics, language learning and teaching, and/or education. Courses in literature and culture may be considered. Please see an advisor if you have questions about courses outside of SLS.
If you have further questions or would like more information, please contact our academic advisors (slsba@hawaii.edu) by email or by phone (808-956-6131).