By Nicole North

Are you a 3rd- or 4th-year undergraduate student studying Linguistics? Could you use $2,100 to help complete your program? Use https://go.sfu.ca to apply today for the Paul McFetridge Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship in Linguistics. See this page for further details and eligibility requirements.

Dr. Paul McFetridge (1954–2014) was an integral part of the Linguistics Department for over three decades, first as a student, and then as a faculty member since 1990. Paul was a talented computational linguist and served the department as Chair for two separate terms. More recently he was an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (2007–2014). Paul’s work was greatly valued, and he is deeply missed by colleagues, staff and students alike. Donations to the Paul McFetridge memorial fund can be made through this secure link.

Curious about the 2023 recipients of this scholarship? Meet Josh Thompson and Ellie Dueck, two Linguistics students (Josh has since graduated) who are passionate about the scientific study of language. Here, we discuss their academic journey at SFU and the impact that winning the Paul McFetridge Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship in Linguistics has had on them.

What prompted you to apply for the Paul McFetridge scholarship? Were you applying to several or did you target this one specifically?

Ellie: It was while I was browsing through an SFU pdf of available scholarships when my eyes caught the word ‘linguistics’. Since I met all the requirements I figured, “Why not apply?” Out of the ones that were listed there, it was the only one I was eligible for, and therefore the only one I applied for. I feel so lucky and grateful to have won it.

Describe the impact that the scholarship had on your academic career.

Josh: It felt really good to receive the scholarship! It definitely motivated me to continue to try and get good grades.

Ellie: Beyond resulting in a week’s worth of smiles, it also gave me a big boost in confidence. I tend to underestimate my own abilities and almost didn’t apply for the scholarship because I thought there was no way I would be chosen out of everybody. However, I clearly did end up getting it and I cannot be more grateful. I have also felt more empowered in my studies since finding out I won, knowing that I really am somebody with the potential to do well in Linguistics. 

Have you received any other awards or scholarships from SFU or other institutions?

Josh:
SFU Undergraduate Open Scholarship

Ellie:
SFU Undergraduate Open Scholarship
SFU International Mobility Award 

Have you participated as a Research Assistant in any of our Linguistics Research Labs? 

Josh: I was a Research Assistant at the Phonological Processing Lab. Being an RA at the Phono Lab was an amazing experience. Getting a firsthand look at how research is conducted was interesting and I think it gave me an advantage when it came to writing research papers in my classes. I also learnt a lot of collaboration skills as well as how to use certain programs such as Excel, Access, and Praat. 

Tell us about the next steps in your academic journey. 

Ellie: I am hoping to graduate in Summer 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. I’ve been considering the Accelerated Masters in Linguistics at SFU and contemplating whether that might be a good fit for me going into my final year. 

Josh: I’ve just started at UBC’s Master’s of Library and Information Studies program this Fall 2024. I chose to pursue Library and Information Studies as I am really interested in the facilitation of information as well as the preservation of information. I’d like to eventually become an academic librarian, but I am also interested in community librarianship. 

Which Linguistics course has been your most memorable? Have you been inspired by a particular instructor?

Ellie: I really enjoyed Introduction to Linguistics (LING 220-3). I feel that this course made me really excited to discover all that Linguistics has to offer and to experience each branch of linguistics more in depth. I must also mention Communication and Language (LING 100-3), which was the course that made me fall in love with linguistics. When I started this course I was a History Major, but by the end of the semester, I knew that I would be switching to Linguistics. Both these courses were so fascinating and taught me just how much of our communication and language is engrained into who we are and how we think. Dr. Ivelina Tchizmarova was my instructor for LING220 as well as later for Introduction to Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (LING 362-3). I found her very inspiring in both of these courses. She is very committed to her students and spent time getting to know everybody in the class. Eva eagerly answered any student questions whether it was about course material or about which vowel sounds she associated with most. I truly felt supported in her classes and knew I could come to her if I needed any assistance or advice. 

Last question is for Josh. Looking back at your time as an SFU undergraduate, what activities did you pursue just for fun when not engaging in academics?

Josh: I spent a lot of time either playing table tennis or walking around Burnaby campus.