Justin Leung

I am currently an M.A. student in Linguistics at the University of Toronto. 

What courses did you find most valuable? 

The courses that I found the most valuable are LIN101/102, LIN399, and LIN357. Courses such as Intro to Linguistics (LIN101/102) were the beginning of my linguistics journey and really got me interested in the field. I also had the opportunity to be an FSG leader for those courses in my fourth year, which was a valuable experience. 

ROP (Research Opportunity Program) with Professor Michelle Troberg (LIN399) was a great experience to be able to work with a professor on her research and take that work further than the classroom. It has also inspired my current research significantly. 

Lastly, English Worldwide (LIN357) was an eye-opening course that changed my view of English(es) worldwide.

How did UTM prepare you for your career?

UTM has a good range of courses in linguistics with varying depths. The strong foundation that these courses have given me has allowed me to succeed in my current studies. The professors are also accommodating and supportive in class and out of class, especially with my graduate school application process.

What was the biggest transitional issue you faced when you started at UTM?

One issue I faced when starting university was the difficulty of connecting with peers in big lecture halls. An important way that this was solved was with the FSGs in LIN101/102 in my first year as an undergrad. I found the FSG leaders were very nice and helpful, and I also made some friends in the FSGs. 

What programs or tasks do you perform in a typical week in your current role? 

As an M.A. student, I have to juggle several roles, and it is definitely a jam-packed week. In my role as a student, I take three graduate-level courses per semester. As a researcher, I am working on a year-long research project on motion event expression in heritage Cantonese under Professor Naomi Nagy's supervision. As a teaching assistant, I hold weekly tutorials and mark assignments and tests. As a research assistant, I work on different tasks to help the Heritage Language Variation and Change lab.