Undergraduate Course: First Language Acquisition (Honours) (LASC10029)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The aim of this course is to introduce students to the principal findings, concepts and models in the field of first language acquisition. |
| 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 typically-developing 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.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Linguistics/Language Sciences courses at grade B or above . We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 27,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
169 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework Essay worth 50% (2000 words)
Exam worth 50% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | First Language Acquisition Exam | 2:120 | |
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of this course the student will have gained understanding of the basic issues in first language acquisition including:
- How do different aspects of language (e.g., speech, phonology, lexicon, morphology and syntax) develop in children?
- What types of learning capacity are responsible for language acquisition?
- What are the relative roles played by biological factors, linguistic constraints, input and interaction?
Students will also have gained experience in analysing developmental data using the concepts and models taught in the course.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The reading assignments, tutorial exercises, and assessments¿including data analysis¿in this course are designed to equip students with the skills necessary to critically evaluate theories and models through both conceptual reasoning and empirical analysis. Students will develop proficiency in solving analytical problems, interpreting data, and discussing theoretical implications. Additionally, they will learn to present their data analysis and theoretical discussion concisely and clearly, adhering to the standards of scientific reporting.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Being open to different perspectives; Data analysis and evaluation; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Problem solving; Academic reading skills; Writing clearly and concisely; Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Written communication. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Teaching Contact Time: 9 weeks out of 11 at 3 hours/week = 27 hours |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Mitsuhiko Ota
Tel: (0131 6)50 3949
Email: mits@ling.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susan Hermiston
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Susan.Hermiston@ed.ac.uk |
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