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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PS 315"
COURSE NAME: "Psycholinguistics"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Thomas Hope
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisites: PS210; PS307/PS370 recommended
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an introduction to the study of language and linguistics. It presents the core concepts and challenges presented by the field from multiple perspectives including philosophy; social, cognitive, and biological psychology; and artificial intelligence. Some of the main questions addressed include the origins of language, how it is implemented (in our brain or in machine), how it informs and constrains the way we think and act, and how best to help those who struggle with disorders of language. Students in this course will encounter the major scientific theories in the field, as well as the key empirical, statistical, and computational methods used to investigate and implement language systems.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course will start with the more conceptual / philosophical treatments of language, before addressing the key methods and results derived from the scientific study of language. Toward the end of the course, we will consider more specialized topics in language, including bilingualism, language impairments, and the recent rise of artificial language systems. The course will involve a combination of lecture time and discussion sessions, and will be organized around a series of key questions (e.g., how do we perceive and recognize words? What non-linguistic processes are critical to natural language? How is bilingual language different to monolingual language?)
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Identify key characteristics of major domains in the study of language, the methods used, and the questions addressed. (LOS 1)
- Understand the convergences and divergences between different perspectives on the study of the language: demonstrate multi-disciplinary synthesis in critical analysis of the field. (LOS 1)
- Identify key methodological and conceptual weaknesses in current theories of language. (LOS 1)
- Demonstrate information literacy in the study of language. (LOS 2)
- Communicate complex, multi-disciplinary material coherently and concisely, both in oral and in written form (LOS 3)
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| The Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics, 2nd edition | Rueschemeyer S. & Gaskell M.G. (eds) | Oxford University Press | 0198786824 | | | Ebook | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Final Exam | A final exam, distributed over Moodle, with multiple choice / short answer questions drawn from the whole of the syllabus material. | 40 |
| Home essay | A short essay (2000 words), answering one of a small set of questions that will be made available during the course. | 30 |
| Class presentation | Students will be asked to present on a topic selected from the course, in front of their peers. | 30 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
When students are undertaking assessed work in class, attendance is mandatory. At other times, attendance is recommended but not required.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Topic
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Readings
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WEEK 1
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INTRODUCTION + Conceptual foundations: Wittgenstein and Chomsky
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Readings TBC
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COMPREHENSION
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WEEK 2
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How do we perceive and recognize words?
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OHP 1-3
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WEEK 3
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How do we associate words with meaning?
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OHP 6-7
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WEEK 4
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How is sentence processing different to word processing?
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OHP 13-14
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PRODUCTION
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WEEK 5
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How do we speak sounds and words?
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OHP 6, 10, 19
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WEEK 6
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How do we speak words?
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OHP 15-16
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WEEK 7
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How do we speak (and write) sentences?
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OHP 17-18
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WEEK 8
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Review and MIDTERM 1
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DISCOURSE
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WEEK 9
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How do we converse?
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OHP 23-25
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WEEK 10
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How do we ‘read between the lines’?
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OHP 26-27
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ACQUISITION
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WEEK 9
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What are the evolutionary precursors of language?
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OHP 36-38
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WEEK 10
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How do we learn language?
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OHP 31-33
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SPECIAL CASES
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WEEK 11
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Bilingual and multilingual language
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OHP 6, 10, 19
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WEEK 12
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Language impairments
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OHP 7, 11, 34, 35
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WEEK 13
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Artificial language systems
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OHP section 30 + readings TBC
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WEEK 14
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Review & PRESENTATIONS
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FINALS WEEK
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FINAL EXAM
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