Department of Second Language Studies at University of Hawaii

09/09/2026

PhD Student Recruitment (Fall 2027)

Dr. Hakyung Sung (Department of Second Language Studies, UH Mānoa, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/sls/directory/people/hakyung-sung/profile.php) is looking to work with one PhD student beginning in Fall 2027. Potential research topics include, but are not limited to:

• Corpus-based analysis of learner language
• Multilingual research on NLP and language models
• Usage-based approaches to second language development

Candidates with a master’s degree in a language-related field and some training in quantitative research methods would be a good fit for this position. If you are considering applying and would like to discuss research fit, please feel free to contact Dr. Sung (sungh[at]hawaii[dot]edu).

• Position: 4 years of support (through a Graduate Assistantship)
• Start date: August 2027
• Application deadline: January 1, 2027
• More info: UH Mānoa SLS Graduate Program
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/second-language-studies/

UH Mānoa’s Second Language Studies program offers an Advanced Graduate Certificate, MA, and PhD focusing on language learning, teaching, and use. The AGC provides specialized expertise, the MA develops practitioner-researchers, and the PhD produces scholars for leadership in multilingual contexts...

08/28/2026

🎉 NEW PUBLICATION 🎉

✨ Congratulations SLS PhD student Alexander F. Tang and SLS Professor Dr. Betsy Gilliland on their recently published article in the International Journal of Applied Linguistics, which comes from Alex’s first qualifying paper written about the teacher research conducted during the 2024 SLS Thailand practicum.

➡️ Drawing on interpretive phenomenological analysis, this article explores how four teacher-learners developed and sustained translanguaging pedagogies by reflecting on their teaching practices, identities, and relationships with learners in the Thai EFL context.

The article can be found here:

Tang, A. F., & Gilliland, B. (2026). Sustaining translanguaging pedagogies: Teacher-learners' approaches towards L2 motivational development in the Thai EFL context. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.70309

08/25/2026

Mahalo to the Second Language Studies Social Association (SLSSA) for organizing the Welcome Cooler for Fall 2026!

Following the Department orientation, SLSSA welcomed and honored our new students, visiting faculty, and new assistant professor, Dr. Hakyung Sung. Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the chance to relax, mingle, and celebrate the start of the academic year together over light refreshments. We're looking forward to a great year ahead!

07/31/2026

✨Attention UH students: we are hiring for a new undergraduate or graduate student interested in working with our SLS Department to help run our social media and website!

🌺 A candidate who is currently enrolled at UH Mānoa as an SLS major/grad student would be preferred, but other majors with relevant communications and media experience may apply!

💻 Please see the job posting for our “Communications and Social Media Associate” position on SECE # 273109! 🌈🤙🏼

07/30/2026

🤔 Hey Undergrad students! Still looking for a class to take in Fall ‘26 at UH Mānoa?

✍🏼 Interested in exploring your own and othersʻ wellbeing through the lens of language and culture?

✨ Register now for SLS 250 to learn more about how multilingual individuals navigate material, physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing!

🔗 Registration is on STAR, seats are still available!

07/30/2026

🤔 Hey Grad students! Still looking for a class to take in Fall ‘26 at UH Mānoa?

✍🏼 Interested in theories and practice related to the teaching and learning of writing, especially for second language learners?

✨ Register now for SLS 614 to learn more about approaches to teaching writing in second and foreign languages, response to student writing, assessment of writing, and research on second language writing!

🔗 Registration is on STAR, seats are still available!

07/28/2026

🎉 We are pleased to announce that recent PhD grad, Dr. Yu-Tzu Chang, has accepted a position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Research Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (RIHSS) in Taiwan, starting this Fall!

✨ Congratulations, Yu-Tzu! We wish you luck in your new role!

07/14/2026

✨ We are happy to share that PhD student Alex Tang, in collaboration with PhD student Keisuke Harada from EALL and faculty from the Center for Language and Technology, has received an external award: a World Languages 360 CALL Grant!

💸 Their funded project, “Data-driven learning meets generative artificial intelligence: Informal internet written language in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean,” is one of five funded projects under the 2026–2027 World Languages 360 CALL Grant Program. The project explores how corpus linguistics, data-driven learning, and generative artificial intelligence can support world language teaching and learning.

In collaboration with SLS master’s alum Dr. Leeseul Park and Center for Language & Technology (CLT) faculty Dr. Richard Medina and Dr. Naiyi Xie Fincham, they are developing worksheets that guide learners of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean in interacting with a Google Gemini chatbot trained on a corpus of YouTube comments from mukbangs, or live-broadcasted eating shows. The project aims to support learners in using data-driven learning to develop their informal internet writing skills. 

🎉 Congratulations Alex and team, on this impressive achievement!

07/09/2026

This morning at Ubon Ratchathani University, DSLS BA student I‘okepa Walker taught a fun lesson about Hawaiian and Pidgin languages as well as lei making!

07/08/2026

✨ We are excited to share that Yuka Chubachi, an MA Student in SLS, has received THREE external awards: the Faith C Ai. Scholarship, the GSO Rachael Wade Merit-Based Award for Service and Outreach, and a World Languages 360 CALL Grant!

💸 The Faith C. Ai Memorial Scholarship fund awards scholarships of up to $5,000 each to exceptional students in or from the state of Hawaii who are enrolled in accredited American colleges or universities. 

💸The Graduate Student Organization recognizes the importance of promoting graduate student service to the University and outreach to the community at large with the awarding of the Rachel Wade Merit Based Award for Service and Outreach. This category is broadly defined to recognize student-led projects/programs and/or student work experience that benefits and enriches the university, local, and/or global community. Successful applicants will demonstrate a history of beneficence.

💸 World Languages 360 offers standalone grants under the umbrella category of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), which includes research and implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects in language education.

🎉 Congratulations, Yuka, on these impressive achievements!