First Language Acquisition (P00248)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PPL-P-FLA(MSc)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the principal findings, concepts and models in the field of first language acquisition. The central question addressed is: How is it that all healthy children acquire language in a relatively short space of time and seemingly without extensive external assistance? Concentrating primarily on phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax, the course surveys and examines theories that have been proposed to explain the observed developmental phenomena in these domains.

Venue: B9 Adam Ferguson Building

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Language Sciences, (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Schedule I)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 9 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
18/09/2007	14:00	15:00			B9, Adam Ferguson Building

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	14:50	Central
Lecture	Thursday	14:00	14:50	Central
Lecture	Friday	14:00	14:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course the student will have gained understanding of the basic issues in first language acquisition including:

- What relative roles linguistic input and biological factors play in language acquisition?
- What models have been proposed to explain the acquisition of speech abilities, phonology, inflectional morphology and syntax?
- How children initiate the acquisition of syntax and semantics without a priori knowledge of the target language?
- How does bilingual first language acquisition proceed?

Students will also have gained experience in analysing learner data using the concepts and models taught in the course.