Current Issues in Language Evolution (P01632)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PPL-P-P01632

This course will survey the current hot topics and controversial issues in the study of the evolution of language, focussing on the close reading of very recent research papers (including some yet to be published) in addition to a selection of "modern classics" in the field. The course will map out what the key points of debate and active research are and cast a critical eye on the directions the field is taking.

Lectures will primarily be student-led, with a selection of papers being made available in the weeks before the course starts. Students will select those papers to be discussed and each student will give at least one presentation summarising one or more of this selection. The class time will be divided roughly equally between presentation and discussion.

Venue: 1.02, 14 Buccleuch Place

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Origins and Evolution of Language (P01593) or equivalent

? Co-requisites : Student must be registered on the MSc in the Evolution of Language and Cognition (unless permission is granted by the course organiser in advance)

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 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 9 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
08/01/2008	14:00	16:00			1.02, 14 Buccleuch Place

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will gain: an up-to-date interdisciplinary understanding of the field of language evolution; the ability to extract the important points from a research paper and summarise that paper in a presentation; effective skills for debate and discussion of both pros and cons of a particular argument; training in the preparation of peer-review commentary.

Assessment Information

Each student will prepare 4 mock "peer-reviews" on papers chosen from the selection provided for the course. These will require the student to put themselves in the place of a referee looking at the paper for inclusion in a journal. They should summarise the paper, give strong and weak points, make a recommendation on whether it should be published and any changes that might be necessary.