Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Language Acquisition

Code

711131058

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Linguística

Credits

6

Teacher in charge

Maria Sousa Lobo Gonçalves

Weekly hours

4

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

At the end of the course, students shall:
a) identify and describe the main characteristics of different models of language acquisition (cognitivism, behaviourism and inatism);
b) describe the advantages and disadvantages of different methodologies for the study of child language;
c) describe properties of phonological development;
d) describe properties of morphosyntactic development;
e) describe properties of semantic and pragmatic development;
f) analyze child language data, characterizing children linguistic development.

Prerequisites

We recommend previous frequency of the following courses: phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.

Subject matter

1. Coginitivist, behaviourist and inatist approaches to language acquisition.
2. General characterisitics of the process of language acquisition.
3. Methodologies for the study of child language: naturalistic and experimental methods.
4. Topics on phonological development.
5. Topics on morphological and syntactic development.
6- Topics on semantic and pragmatic development.

Bibliography

Costa, J. e A. L. Santos. 2003. A falar como os bebés. Lisboa: Editorial Caminho.
Fletcher, Paul & Brian MacWhinney (eds.) 1995. The Handbook of Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers.
Guasti, Maria Teresa. 2002. Language Acquisition. The Growth of Grammar. Cambridge, London: MIT Press.
Lust, B. 2006. Child Language. Acquisition and Growth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lust, B. & C. Foley (eds.) 2004. First Language Acquisition. The essential readings. Malden / Oxford / Victoria: Blackwell.

Teaching method

Theoretical classes and practical classes: child language data analysis

Evaluation method

Two written tests (60%) and two child language data exercises (40%).

Courses