Undergraduate Course: Second Language Acquisition (Honours) (LASC10030)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The aim of this course is to give an introduction to current research on second language acquisition (SLA) by reviewing key issues, concepts, findings and theories and provide the opportunity to critically evaluate models and theories of SLA by applying them to the analysis of second language data. |
| Course description |
This course introduces students to the principal findings, models, and research methods in the field of second language acquisition. The course surveys general issues such as the role of the native language, the effects on the second language on the first, universals, age, input and interaction and processing, as well as characteristics of the acquisition of phonology, lexicon, and syntax in second language learners. The empirical component of the course provides students with experience in designing and carrying out studies in second language acquisition.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Linguistics/Language Sciences courses at grade B or above . We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 55 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 27,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
169 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Two pieces of assessment worth 50% each.
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| Feedback |
Group discussions and student presentations as part of the tutorials |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the basic issues in second language acquisition (SLA) including: individual differences in SLA; age effects on SLA; the role of the native language in SLA; the initial state and end state of second language grammar; native language attrition and child second language learning.
- Analyse learner data using the concepts and models taught in the course
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Reading List
| Will be made available on Learn |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course introduces students to principal findings, models, and research methods about how second or additional languages are acquired and interact with each other. The course covers topics such as the role of the native language, the effects on the second language on the first, universals, age, input, heritage language development, in the domains of phonology, lexicon, and morphosyntax. In tutorials and assessments, students will learn to understand and critically evaluate acquisition data and discuss how they link to theoretical frameworks. Students will develop their own research proposal and continue to work on building effective arguments, critically analyse research material and justify their conclusions.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Being open to different perspectives; Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Critical analysis and evaluation; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Independence; Preparation, planning and organisation; Problem solving; Academic reading skills; Report writing; Research skills; Resilience; Self-reflection; Taking initiative; Time management; Understanding broader perspectives; Workload management; Written communication; Writing clearly and concisely; Data analysis and evaluation. |
| Keywords | second language learning,language,cognition |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Vicky Chondrogianni
Tel: (0131 6)50 4020
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Susan Hermiston
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: |
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