Adult Language Development and Processing
Undergraduate: Level 4
Monday 13 January 2020
Friday 20 March 2020
05 April 2019
Requisites for this module
BA QB36 English Language and Language Development (Including Year Abroad),
BA QQ3C English Language and Language Development,
BA QQ3F English Language and Language Development (Including Placement Year)
The module provides an introduction to key concepts used in research on language processing. Topics will include the organisation of words in our mental lexicon, the way in which we comprehend and process sentences, our production of words and sentences, and the relationship between language processing, music, and the brain. The module will provide students with an overview of research findings from a broad range of studies, including studies conducted in the Department of Language and Linguistics at the University of Essex.
The module aims to provide a basic introduction to key concepts, methods, and theoretical approaches in research on psycholinguistics.
The course aims to:
• Provide students with an introduction to a number of contemporary issues in the study of the acquisition of language as well as the study of some developmental language disorders.
• Demonstrate the importance of psycholinguistics to other disciplines, particularly psychology and cognitive science.
• Question and challenge stereotypical views on acquisition, processing and disorders of language.
• Enable students to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to go on to second year courses in linguistics.
• Acquire a range of ‘transferable skills’, e.g.. skills such as data analysis, group discussion, report writing, bibliographical referencing etc., which will be useful outside as well as inside the academic context.
On successful completion of this half module, students should be able to
1. define core terms and concepts in language processing research,
2. describe commonly used empirical methods in language processing research,
3. identify core issues in research on language processing and discuss the core assumptions of relevant theoretical models,
4. summarise and present empirical results from previous studies clearly and accurately,
5. critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of research into language processing,
present ideas in a structured, coherent and cohesive fashion, using appropriate style and terminology, and demonstrating clarity, precision, and accuracy.
Week 16 Introduction to psycholinguistics. Planning utterances. (CDL; Warren ch.1 and 2; Traxler ch. 1)
Week 17 Gestures (LL; Warren ch. 6)
Week 18 Word processing (LL; Warren ch.3)
Week 19 Speech production and comprehension (LL; Warren ch.4 and 7)
Week 20 Spoken word recognition (CDL; Warren ch.8)
Week 21 Visual word recognition (CDL; Warren ch.9)
Week 22 Sentence processing (CH; Warren ch.10 and 11)
Week 23 Discourse processing (CH; Warren ch.11)
Week 24 Reference processing (CH; Warren ch.12)
Week 25 Architecture of the language processing system (CDL; Warren ch. 13)
A two-hour lecture + class session and a one-hour follow up class session each week.
The two-hour session will combine a lecture with group and individual work on practical tasks. The separate one-hour follow up class will be focused on practical, exercise material.
This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non-essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
|Coursework / exam
||120 minutes during Summer (Main Period) (Main)
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Florence Myles (FM), Claire Delle Luche (CDL) and Coralie Hervé (CH)
Dr. Delle Luche, Office: 4.342, Tel: 01206 872113, Email: firstname.lastname@example.org -
Prof F. Myles, Office: 4.131, Tel01206 872228, Email: email@example.com
Dr Coralie Herve - email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Dr Lynne Julie Cahill
University of Sussex
Available via Moodle
Of 42 hours, 42 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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