Postgraduate Course: First Language Acquisition (LASC11013)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Language Sciences |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | 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. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Lecture Theatre 1, 7 Bristo Square | 1-11 | | 14:00 - 14:50 | | | | | Central | Lecture | Teviot Lecture Theatre, Doorway 5 | 2-11 | | | | 14:00 - 14:50 | | | Central | Lecture | Lecture Theatre 1, 7 Bristo Square | 1-11 | | | | | 14:00 - 14:50 | | Central | Lecture | Lecture Theatre 1, 7 Bristo Square (WEEK ONE ONLY) | 1 | | | | 14:00 - 14:50 | |
| First Class |
Week 1, Tuesday, 14:00 - 14:50, Zone: Central. Lecture Theatre 1, 7 Bristo Square |
| No Exam Information |
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. |
Assessment Information
| 1x Critical reviews (50%) and 1x data analysis project (50%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mitsuhiko Ota
Tel: (0131 6)50 3949
Email: mits@ling.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Toni Noble
Tel: (0131 6)51 3188
Email: Toni.noble@ed.ac.uk |
|
© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:19 am
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