EN-425 Language Acquisition
- ECTS Credits:
- 15
- Responsible department:
- Faculty of Humanities and Education
- Course Leader:
- Linda Ruth Wheeldon
- Lecture Semester:
- Autumn
- Teaching language:
- English
- Duration:
- 1 term
The course is connected to the following study programs
- Primary teacher Education level 5-10, 2-year Master Programme
- Advanced Teacher Education level 8-13, 5-year Master's Programme
- Master's 5-Year Programme in Teacher Education, level 5-10
- Master's Programme in English
Teaching language
EnglishPrerequisites
EN-410 and EN-411 must be passed or taken during the same semester
Recommended prerequisites
The course assumes good proficiency in written and oral English
Course contents
The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the key issues in language acquisition and the various theories and approaches that seek to explain how children acquire language. The main focus is on first language acquisition. Acquisition of all levels of language structure will be discussed and as well as multilingual and atypical language acquisition.
Topics to be covered focussing on English:
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Theories and stages of child language development
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Methods and approaches
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The acquisition of sounds, words, morphology and syntax
-
Multilingual language acquisition
-
Atypical language acquisition
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: Upon completion of this course students will have
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Knowledge of the stages of first language acquisition
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Broad knowledge of theories and models of language acquisition
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Knowledge of linguistic and experimental approaches to the study of language acquisition
Skills: Upon completion of this course students will be able to
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critically evaluate theories and evidence about the biological and environmental basis of language acquisition.
-
critically evaluate theories of the acquisition of different levels of language structure
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critically evaluate theories of multilingual and atypical language acquisition
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Write clear and concise summaries of key research articles and well-structured essays.
Examination requirements
The student must have gained a pass grade on all obligatory tasks in order to be eligible to take the exam. An overview of the obligatory tasks will be given on Canvas at the start of the term.
Evaluation
The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.
Offered as Single Standing Module
Yes. Subject to availability or capacity.
Assessment methods and criteria
A take home written examination consisting of essay questions. Graded assessment.
Reduction of Credits
This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:
| Course | Reduction of Credits |
|---|---|
| EN-417 – English Linguistics: Natural Language Acquisition | 15 |
| EN-469 – Language Acquisition | 10 |