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LN3502: FIRST AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (2014-2015)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

How children and adults learn language has been the topic of much debate within linguistics. This course will focus on some of the main theories of language learning and introduce students to research in first and second language acquisition. It will answer questions such as: when do children first start learning language? How do they go from babbling to one word sentences to the full complexity of adult grammar in a span of merely a few years? How do the brains of people who learn two languages simultaneously differ from those who learn a second language later on in life?

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Agni Connor

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

None.

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

How children and adults learn language has been the topic of much debate within linguistics. This course will focus on some of the main theories of language learning and introduce students to research in first and second language acquisition. It will focus on a number of aspects of language acquisition including the following. What processes take place when children learn their first language? How do they go from babbling to one-word sentences to the full complexity of adult grammar in a span of merely a few years? How do the brains of people who learn two languages simultaneously differ from those who learn a second language later on in life? What are some of the causes of the speech errors we find in second language learners? Why are some learners better at learning languages than others – what factors influence second language acquisition? The course will also focus on common misconceptions in relation to both first and second language acquisition.

Further Information & Notes

Admission subject to approval by the Head of School. The field work aspects of this course may pose difficulties to students with disabilities. For such students, alternative arrangements will be made available. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), seminar work (10%), group presentation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Students will be given the opportunity of finding out how well they have performed in seminars as an ongoing feature of the learning process.

Feedback

Formative assessment will be given to students individually on request.

Feedback on essays will be provided in writing on the essay cover sheet. Students will also be invited to discuss their performance with their tutor.

Both the Group Project and the Seminar Assessment Mark will be made available to students along with a generally brief written report from the tutor. Students will also be encouraged to speak with the tutor about this assessment.

The examination will take place after the course is completed. Students may, however, ask for an oral report on their performance.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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