Graduate and Research Central Coordination Office (CCPG)

Graduate Program in Language Studies

General Information

Program Overview and History

The Graduate Program in Language Studies (PPGEL/PUC-Rio) began its activities in February 2011, as a result of the dismemberment of the former Graduate Program in Literature in its concentration areas - Language Studies and Literary Studies. The trajectory of PPGEL originates, thus, in the 1970s, when the Master’s (1970) and Doctoral (1973) courses in Literature were created. These courses played a significant role in the field of Portuguese Language and Linguistics in Brazil.

The PPGEL distinguishes itself by providing a comprehensive view of human language. It includes different theoretical approaches and explores themes of  an interdisciplinary nature related to meaning, relationships between language, society and culture, as well as the relationship between language and cognition.

The curriculum structure of PPGEL exposes the student to the Program’s different lines of research, the perception of complementary aspects and contrasts between theoretical and methodological perspectives, as well as the deepening of specific topics offered in advanced disciplines.

The PPGEL encourages students’ participation in the field’s events, both inside and outside of the Program, as a way of integrating into academic life.

The faculty, distributed in 4 lines of research, is nationally and internationally recognized, and maintains research groups of excellence. The PPGEL provides opportunities for integration between the graduate and undergraduate programs, within the framework of research projects and activities within the Program.

Another highlight of the Program is the articulation of PPGEL professors with  researchers from other national and international institutions, within the framework of inter-institutional research groups, such as:

• The research group in Lexical Theory and Portuguese Lexicon (CNPq)
• The research groups in Language Processing Acquisition (GPPAL -CNPq);
• Multidisciplinary Approaches to Translation research group (MULTITRAD - CNPq);
• The NAVIS-GASA research group - Partnership between the Narrative and Social Interaction Group (NAVIS - CNPq), from PUC-Rio, and the Adolescent Health Care Group (GASA), IFF/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation);
• The research group on Language, Culture and Work (CNPq);
• Research group on Teacher Education, affiliated to ANPOLL (National Association of Graduate Studies in Literature and Linguistics).

PPGEL students and professors have access to university's laboratory and computer resources as well as the Department’s facilities and resources. The Department possesses 04 language-teaching laboratories and 01 Psycholinguistics Laboratory - The Laboratory of Psycholinguistics and Language Acquisition (LAPAL), specially created for the development of experimental research in Linguistic Processing by adults and Language Acquisition by children from their first years of life.

The selection process for the Master's and Doctoral courses are annual and the Program welcomes professors and researchers in post-doctoral stages.

See www.letras.puc-rio.br for more detailed information.

Objectives

The general objectives of the PPGEL are:

1. Train human resources for higher education/language/language research;
2. Qualify graduates in related areas for interdisciplinary research with a focus on language;
3. Contribute to the production of relevant to Brazilian Portuguese and  the linguistic phenomenon in general, of recognized quality in the national and international scientific community;
4. Stimulate the maintenance and creation of innovative research groups, exploring links between the study of language/language and other fields of knowledge;
5. Contribute to improving the quality of Brazilian education quality at different levels.

With regard to the Master’s course, the Program aims to form individuals:

1. With a solid enough academic background to integrate research groups focused on the description of Portuguese and/or in interdisciplinary themes centered on language;
2. Capable of reflecting on the language of form theoretically based on their professional practice.

With regard to the Doctoral course, the Program aims to form individuals capable of:

1. Acting as top level professors in disciplines pertinent to Linguistics;
2. Conducting scientific research on language/language autonomously;
3. Integrating or establishing research groups with nationally and internationally recognized quality production ;
4. Perpetuating or surpassing the standard of excellence achieved by the current Program in their future academic activities.

Concentration Area of Language Studies Program

The concentration area of Language Studies, created from the former Literature Program, remains the only concentration area of the current Program.

Line of Research

The program develops four lines of research:

Course Recognition and CAPES Evaluation

Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

Recognition:
CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Eduction Personnel; from Brazilian Ministry of Education) evaluation: grade 5 (in a 3 to 7 scale) for the 2010-2012 period.
Approved by the CNE/CES MEC n.288/2015 of July 08, 2015.

Requirements for obtaining the Master’s and Doctoral degrees

Master

• Approval in the compulsory and elective disciplines offered by the Program, obtaining a total of 24 credits;
• Elaboration and development of a research project for the Master’s dissertation, linked to one of the Program’s lines of research, under the supervision of an advisor;
• Approval of a Master's dissertation, and delivery of its copies according to the internal regulation of PUC-Rio.

Doctor

• Approval in the compulsory and elective disciplines offered by the Program, obtaining a total of 48 credits, 24 of which can be transferred from the Master’s course;
• Approval in the Qualifying Examination, which should be taken until the 5th academic period;
• Elaboration of a Doctoral thesis linked to one of the Program’s lines of research;
• Approval of the Thesis defense before a jury composed of experts in the topic or field, and delivery of its copies according to the internal regulations of PUC-Rio.

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