PSYC
346 Psychology of Language
Fall 2003: TTh 11:10-12:25
Class Location: Civil
Engineering 118
Instructor Office: 267 Psychology Bldg.
T.A.: Frank Martinez frank.05@neo.tamu.edu Acad 226 Wed 2-4
Tel.: 845-2576
JV Office Hrs: M
Textbook: Psychology of Language by David Carroll (2003, 4th ed.) Brooks/Cole.
E-mail: jxv@psyc.tamu.edu - When you email me, please indicate "PSYC 346" in subject
header. Please do not send any
attachments.
LAST MODIFIED - December 9 - NOTE: There is no class today. Turn in assignment outside my office, Rm. 267, by noon today. Grades won't be ready til early next week. Test 3 mean was around 80.
See Revised Assignment and due dates in link below. See Test 3 Review.
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to classic as well as emerging research and theory in the psycholinguistic study of human language, that is, the mental structures and processes that underlie the acquisition, comprehension, production and use of language. Topics to be considered will include speech perception and production, word and sentence processing, memory and comprehension of text, cognitive and social aspects of conversation, first and second language learning, bilingualism, spoken vs. written vs. signed language, language diversity, figurative language use, language and thought, and the brain structures that mediate language.
Among the questions we will consider are:
-
What properties
characterize all human languages and what properties vary across languages?
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What are the
biological foundations of language?
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What are social
and cultural aspects of language use?
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How do we
acquire, understand and produce language?
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How does the
medium of language use (spoken vs. written) affect its processing?
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Is figurative
language “special” or is it basic to how we use language?
-
What is the
relationship between language and thought?
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How is language
organized in people who know more than one language?
Lecture/discussion and occasional in-class demonstrations and exercises.
There will be three in-class multiple choice tests, each worth 25%. The tests will be based equally on lecture notes and on the textbook.
The remaining 25% percent of the grade will be based on class assignments (which will be posted on the website) and on in-class exercises.
You are allowed to bring 2 sheets of notes (doublesided) to the tests.
If you have a
conflict with the test dates, please contact me well in advance so that
alternate arrangements can be made. Only university authorized excuses will be
accepted to schedule a make-up test.
Website
There will be a website for the course where links of interest, course announcements, assignments, and a list of review terms per test will be posted. Please check the website regularly.
I prefer NOT to post
lecture notes. You will be responsible for obtaining lecture notes by attending
class, or (when you are absent) by getting the notes from classmates.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability that requires an accommodation, please contact the Office of Support Services for Students with Disabilities in the Student Services Bldg, Rm. 126, tel. 845-1637.
If you need help with note-taking, reading comprehension or
writing skills please call
Vaid
(
General Links of Interest
Journals in Language/Linguistics
Week 1: Course
Overview
9/2 ch. 1, 2 Themes
9/4 chs. 2 History and Methods
Week 2: Perception of
Language
9/9 ch. 3, 4
9/11
Vagaries of English Spelling - A Poem
Week 3: Word
comprehension/Lexical access
9/16 ch. 5
9/18 FILM - MEET IN LIBRARY ANNEXE, 410.
Week 4: Word meanings
9/23
9/25 TEST 1: chapters
1-5 and lecture notes
Week 5: Sentence
processing and comprehension
9/30 ch. 6
10/2 Sentence Processing, contd.Garden Path sentences
Week 6: Discourse
comprehension/Language production
10/7 ch. 7
Class exercise - Bartlett Discuss (1 page) how your memory of the story differed from the original and why (making reference to schemas and other concepts from the chapter). Due in class Oct. 14.
10/9 ch. 8
Week 7: Language
Acquisition
10/14 ch. 10
10/16 ch. 12
Week 8: Language
Acquisition
10/21 Film - Meet in Library Annexe Rm. 410.
10/23 Test 2: chaps. 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and lectures
Week 9: Language
Disorders
10/28 ch. 13
10/30
Week 10: Language
Disorders, contd.
11/4 Guest Speaker – Dr. Faraneh Vargha-Khadem
Gene change speaks to language malady
(meet will meet in MSC Rm. 206 at 11 am)
11/6 NO CLASS
Week 11:
Conversation/Communication Modes
11/11 ch. 9
11/13 Spoken vs. written language
Week 12: Bilingualism
11/18 ch. 11
11/20Bilingualism database.
A Global Perspective on Bilingualism and Bilingual Education.
Week 13: Language, culture and cognition
Scientific American: A
Way with Words
Do languages help mold the way we think?
11/25 ch. 14
11/28 Thanksgiving - NO CLASS
Week 14: Language
play/Literal-non-literal language
12/2 ch. 11
12/4 Test 3: chaps. 9, 11, 13, 14 and lectures
Week 15: Wrap-up
12/9 All assignments to be completed by this date.