PSYC 316 - Seminar.Language Acquisition

Institution:

Wellesley College

Subject:

Description:

NOT OFFERED IN 2009-10. Children around the world acquire their first language, spoken or signed, with seemingly little effort. By the end of their first year, they are saying their first words, and a mere two years later they are speaking in full sentences! We will discuss the various factors that play into children's rapid acquisition of their first language. Towards figuring out how children learn language, we will talk about early speech perception, word learning, the acquisition of phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatic knowledge. In addition, we will cover topics such as language development disorders (e.g., autism), the critical period hypothesis, sign language, bilingualism, and language and thought. Over the course of the semester, we will understand the empirical methods that guide the study of child language. Prerequisite: Open to juniors and seniors who have taken two 200-level units, including 207 and excluding 205, or permission of instructor. LING 114 may be substituted for either 200-level unit. Distribution: Epistemology and Cognition or Social and Behavioral Analysis Semester: N/O Unit: 1.0

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wellesley.edu

Phone Number:

(781) 283-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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