Module overview
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- How languages are acquired: why is language innate to humans
- the neurological basis for language in the brain
- the theoretical interpretation of this evidence in terms of current debates about the modularity of the human mind
- what the empirical evidence outlined in each of these areas tells us about the organisation of language in the human mind
- how humans understand and produce language
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- apply some of the analytical tools acquired in your first year to the study of a specific area of linguistics
- apply theoretical models of language and language processing to the study of specific language questions
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- understand the theoretical interpretation of this evidence in terms of current debates about the modularity of the human mind
- critically evaluate theories of language and language processing in the light of empirical evidence
- link empirical evidence to the formulation of theories of language and language processing
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- establish the relationship between a theoretical framework and empirical evidence
- critically evaluate theories
- synthesise evidence from a range of sources in order to present a coherent argument
Syllabus
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 24 |
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Aitchison, J (2001). The articulate mammal. Routledge.
Fromkin, V., Rodman,R., and N Hyams (2003). An Introduction to Language. Thompson and Heinle.
Traxler, Matthew, J., (2012). Introduction to Psycholinguistics.
Reuschemeyer, S., and Gaskell, G.M., (2007). The Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics. Oxford University Press.
Field, J., (2004). Psycholinguistics: The Key Concepts. Routledge.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Exercise
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback:
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External