Language Acquisition - 2nd semester
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
a) To identify and describe the main characteristics of different models of language acquisition: behaviourism, cognitivism and inatism;
b) To know methodologies for collecting and analyzing child language and to describe their advantages and disadvantages;
c) To describe properties of phonological development;
d) To describe properties of morpho-syntactic development;
e) To describe properties of semantic and pragmatic development.
Prerequisites
We recommend previous frequency of the following courses: phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
Subject matter
1. Behaviourist, cognitivist and inatist approaches to the study of child language;
2. General properties of the process of language acquisition;
3. Methodologies for the study of language acquisition: naturalistic and experimental methods;
4. Topics on phonological development;
5. Topics on morphologic and syntactic development;
6. Topics on semantic and pragmatic development.
Bibliography
Blom, E. & S. Unsworth. 2010. Experimental Methods in Language Acquisition Research. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
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.
Goodluck, H. 1991. Language Acquisition. A Linguistic Introduction. Oxford / Cambridge: Blackwell.
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.
McDaniel, D., C. McKee & H. S. Cairns (eds.). 1996. Methods for Assessing Childrens Syntax. Cambridge, Mass. / London: The MIT Press.
Teaching method
The classes include expository sessions, watching/ listening to and analyzing child language data, discussion and analysis of child language productions.
Evaluation method
The evaluation includes two written tests (60%) - one midterm and one final test - and two short assignments that include the analysis of phonological and morpho-syntactic aspects of child language (40%).