We are very proud to announce that MA Ling student Katrina Jose has joined the Department as a teaching associate this first semester of A.Y. 2025-2026. She is handling undergraduate linguistics courses under the supervision of a tenured faculty. She also assists with the collaboration project with the Dumagat/Remontado (agv) community. Get to know our newest TA by reading on.

1. What got you into linguistics?

I’ve always been interested in languages, kaya nga BA European languages ang undergrad ko. But when I took Lingg 1 under Sir Ricky [Sir Ricardo Ma. Nolasco, PhD is a retired professor at the Department and current professorial lecturer at UP Mindanao], that’s when I realized I was more interested in learning about languages, not learning how to speak different languages.
After graduation, I worked different teaching jobs including one in Spain. It was still the pandemic so the Department’s events were held online, kaya naka-attend pa rin ako ng events ng Lingg kahit nasa ibang timezone ako. Nakapanood ako ng mga installment ng Lexicon Unpacked, PLC Round Table Discussion, LSLS, at kung anu-ano pa. I never lost interest in linguistics and kept following Lingg Dept’s accounts kahit minsan, tbh, di ko naman nagegets yung pinag-uusapan. After two years in Spain in 2023, I went back home and started my MA in Linguistics here in UPD. I didn’t have a specific research interest yet, I didn’t understand how Philippine/Austronesian languages work (I was more familiar with European languages), ang alam ko lang, basta gusto ko aralin ‘to.


2. Can you tell us more about your background?

I graduated in 2020 from the BA European Languages program in CAL, major in German, minor in Spanish. After graduation, I taught German to Filipino professionals, taught English to Spanish kids, and taught Tagalog to Filipino Americans, puro turo.

In UP, I also briefly worked as an RA for the University Collections Mapping Project. We had to catalogue and check the conditions of different artworks around the campus. Inapplyan ko yun kasi nakita ko yung post ng hiring noong kagagaling ko lang sa National Museum, naisip ko, parang ang cute nung project, arts arts.

3. What are some of the highlights of your experience as an MA student at the Department so far?

  • I presented my LinggPil 285 paper at the Linguistic Society of the Philippines International Conference 2025 in April, and at the Graduate Research Colloquium of the department just a few weeks ago. Thankful kay Sir Aldrin [Sir Aldrin Lee, PhD is a professor at the Department] for his guidance in writing the paper, and for requiring us to submit our abstracts to the conference. Bonus pang na-shortlist for the Best Paper Award sa LSPIC yung paper ko, nakaka-validate kase minsan di ko sure kung nakakasabay ba talaga ko sa lessons bilang di naman Lingg yung undergrad ko.
  • We conducted our fieldwork class in Manticao during the Midyear term of 2024. First time ko yun sa Mindanao, so there’s that. But to keep it short, realization talaga sa class na yun na sobrang dami mong hindi matututunan kung sa loob ka lang ng classroom nag-aaral.
  • One of the subjects I was looking forward to before starting the program was historical linguistics, and it didn’t disappoint. Lingg 213 [Dayakronik na Linggwistiks] fave!

4. What is something that you look forward to in working as a TA?

I always say knowing something and teaching that something are two different skills. I’m excited and scared at the same time, maiintindihan kaya ng students ko yung ituturo ko?

5. What are your current research interests or what is something that you wish to work on?

Clitics! Dito mo makikita yung interplay ng phonology, morphology, syntax, and even semantics and pragmatics. Challenging kasi lahat na, kailangan i-consider, pero kaya nga siya super enjoyable. Ito yung topic ko for Lingg ng Pil 280 [Istruktura ng Isang Wika sa Pilipinas] at Lingg ng Pil 285 [Istruktural na Pagkokompara ng mga Wika sa Pilipinas] but I worked on limited elicited data lang, I want to continue researching on this with natural speech data na.

Language change and contact is also very interesting for me (Lingg 213 <3 ). Hoping to use my Bahasa Indonesia/Malaysia knowledge in doing research on Malay loanwords in Tagalog and other Philippine languages.

6. Do you have any advice for your fellow grad students or those considering graduate studies?

Your classmates’ input and insights are just as important as your prof’s. Listen, pay attention, take down notes.
7. Finally, what is something that you enjoy during your leisure time?

Marami… so many things to do, so little time.

I love swimming especially when I’m stressed. I also like going to the mountains and appreciating nature’s beauty, always worth the effort **chef’s kiss**.

I also like puzzles, sudoku ganon. I love reading books as well, I genuinely enjoy reading lingg-related materials naman, pero miss ko rin ang reading for leisure, kapag sembreak, nasisingit naman.

Welcome to the Department, Kat!

—

Currently, Kat teaches Lingg 110 under the supervision of a tenured faculty. Access the “Regular Classes” and “Course Catalog” tabs of CRS for more information. 

—

This article is part of the “Faculty Spotlight” series of the Department, and is also done in celebration of 100 years of Japanese language teaching in the university. Click here for more information. 

Published by UP Department of Linguistics

Published by