English and drama
Child Language Acquisition
Module code: Q1079
Level 6
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Coursework
In this module, you explore how children learn their first language.
During the module we'll look at language data from children and their carers to investigate questions such as:
- what processes are involved in learning language and learning to use it?
- to what extent is language an innate faculty in humans?
- does it matter how we talk to children or will they acquire good language skills regardless?
- does one lose language-learning ability as one gets older?
- is language learning dependent on general cognitive abilities or intelligence?
- to what extent are language acquisition processes universal or language-specific?
Module learning outcomes
- Show a deep understanding of the proposed chronology of language acquisition and the reasons it may vary.
- Critically assess the major hypotheses concerning language acquisition and the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence used in evaluating them.
- Summarise a topic in a pedagogically helpful way.
- Find and use research resources on first language acquisition in order to develop and communicate particular specialised knowledge in one or more aspects.