CSD308: Language and Speech Development

Fall, 2017, MW1:002:15

Kamhi ()

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the class, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge about the social, biological, perceptual, and cognitive bases of language.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge aboutspeech and language development in preschool and school-age children
  3. Describe the different theories of language acquisition---how nature and nurture impact children’s development of speech and language
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of dialectal variations and second language learning.
  5. Calculate MLU and identify a preschool child’s language stage.

Schedule of Events

Topic Readings

August

16 Languagedevelopment videoZimbardo (Discovering Psychology-2006)

21 Defining language Owens, Ch. 1

23Wikipedia (language/natural language)

28 Biological BasesOwens, Ch. 4

Pinker, Chs. 1, 2, 10

30 Social-Cultural Bases Owens, Ch. 7

Motherese Bates/Tomasello (Google-social bases)

September

4 Labor Day- no class

6 Early Communicative Behaviors Owens, Ch. 6

11 Cognitive Bases Owens, Ch. 5

13 Calculating MLU and obtaining a language sample

Cognitive bases (cont.) Pinker, Ch. 3

Wikipedia (cognitive development/Piaget)

18 Perceptual Bases Wikipedia (speech perception)

20 Theories of Language Acquisition Wikipedia

Kamhi

25 Review

27Exam 1

October

2Prelinguistic VocalizationsOwens, Ch. 3

Phonological Development Owens, (end of Ch. 10)

Pinker, Ch. 6

Wikipedia (phonological development)

4 First Words Owens, Ch. 8

9Fall Break

11First words (cont.)

16 Combining meanings Owens, Ch. 8

18 Grammatical MorphemesOwens, Ch. 10

23

25Review

30 Exam 2

November

1 Preschool Syntactic Development Owens, Ch. 10

6 Project Day (bring samples to class)

8 Pragmatic development-nonverbalOwens, Ch. 9 & 11

13 Pragmatic development--conversational acts

15Pragmatic development—listener sensitivity

20 Language development in the school yearsOwens, Ch. 12

Reading developmentOwens, Ch. 12

22 Thanksgiving Break

27Production/ComprehensionOwens, Ch. 13

Language diversity

29Bilingualism/Review

29 Review

Recommended Texts

Owens, R. (2015). Language development (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Pinker, S. (1994). The Language Instinct.New York: Morrow.

Course Requirements

1. 3 exams (70%)

2. Three article reviews and reactions. Read one of the journal articles listed in Canvas under Assignments. Summarize the article in 1-2 pages and have a least one paragraph that attempts to integrate information with class discussion, the relevant chapter in your text (Owens), and provides some reaction to the information. Due dates are listed below for each topic. (10%)

Group A: Biological bases-8/30, phonological development--10/4, pragmatics--nonverbal aspects-- 11/13

Group B: Socio-cultural bases--9/12, first words--10/16, pragmatics/conversational acts-- 11/15

Group C: Cognitive bases--9/19, combining meanings/morphemes--10/25, pragmatics/listener sensitivity, 11/20

2. Language analyses. (Transcribed sample with MLU due 10/2; Final project and papers are due on 11/27)

Language sample analyses (see attached). If you get your own child, you can work with another student and turn in one project for the two of you. If you use the transcripts on Canvas, you can either do the Madeline sample or the 2 Rispoli samples. These samples are rather long; choose 75 utterances from each sample to analyze. You can also obtain samples from CHILDES.(20%)

  1. 3. 6-8 page book report. This assignment is optional except for students taking course for Honors, but I strongly suggest that all 2nd degree students do it. (Due 11/29)
  1. Book Review: Format: Begin by providing a 1-2 page overview of the main points in the book, then provide some more detailed discussion of 2-3 chapters in the book. Read at least 2 journal articles cited by the authors. Conclude the paper with a paragraph or two about your reaction/impressions of the information and future directions for research. Use APA format to write paper and cite references. (This assignment is optional, but I Recommended books: Christine Keneally’s The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language Steven Pinker--- The Language Instinct or The Stuff of Thought, Guy Deutscher, Through the Looking Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages. Any book by Deborah Tannen. Previous students have loved You’re Wearing That?

B. Read Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne and Stuart Keeley (recent edition). Provide a summary of each of the 14 chapters and discuss what you learned from each chapter and how you might use this knowledge in the future.

4. Class spirit (X factor)

5. Students taking the class for graduate credit or Honors need to do the language analysis and a book report.

Course Policies

1. Office Hours. I do not have set office hours. The best time to meet with me is after class. If this doesn’t work, make an appointment after class or by email. Students are welcome to stop by without an appointment (Ferguson 310).

  1. Professional Conduct: The Department expects you to demonstrate professional conduct and respect for your peers at all times. Come to class on time. Turn off your cell phones before class begins. Be prepared for class (and don’t use this class to prepare for other responsibilities). Create a positive learning atmosphere; excessive talking makes it difficult for me to lecture and disrupts your peers. If I am concerned about your professionalism, I will speak to you outside class.
  1. Accommodations. If you have a documented disability and you require academic accommodations for this course, please make an appointment to discuss your needs with me during the first two weeks of classes so that your learning needs can be appropriately met.
  1. Academic Integrity. “Good academic work must be based on honesty. The attempt of any student to present as his or her own work that which he or she has not produced is regarded by the faculty and administration as a serious offense.” Source: UNCG Undergraduate Catalog. At UNCG, cheating is a violation of the Student Judicial Code, defined as Academic Misconduct: Academic Misconduct: Receipt or transmission of unauthorized aid on assignments or examinations, plagiarism, unauthorized use of examination materials, or other forms of dishonesty in academic matters. Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. In cases of academic misconduct, students will receive a 0 for that assignment or exam.
  1. Plagiarism. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. To plagiarize is "to steal or pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own" (Webster’s 9th edition). The Department of CommunicationSciences and Disorders expects its faculty and students to give proper credit to other people through the use of proper citation. Our department follows the citation standards of the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Manual. If you have ANY questions about how to properly cite the work of others, consult this manual and ask me for clarification as needed! A student who plagiarizes another person’s work, in whole or in part will receive a 0 for that assignment.
  1. Due Dates, Tragic Events, Illness, and Exams. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date provided. Late assignments (related to unexcused absences) will receive a 0. In the case of a tragic event or an illness documented by a physician, a student may take a make-up exam; however, the student must present written documentation of the illness from a physician. If a student cannot complete the final exam due to an illness, the student will receive an incomplete for the course until all requirements are completed.
  1. Special Circumstances. If you have a documented disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see me during the first week of classes so that such accommodations may be arranged immediately.

Language Development Project Guidelines

Obtain a language sample from a normally developing child between 2;6 and 6;0 years. The sample should consist of approximately 75 spontaneous utterances. Transcribe all child and adult utterances. Type adult utterances in capital letters. Child utterances are typed in lower case letters except the first letter of the sentence. Doublespace throughout transcription. Number all child utterances, even the ones that are excluded from the MLU computation. Do not number adult utterances. Utterances are transcribed on the left side of the page. Contextual notes and glosses are placed on the right side. At the top of the page be sure to put information about the child (e.g., age, birthdate, sex), the setting (home, school), participants, time of day, and materials (kinds of toys, books). Calculate MLU according to handout.

Guidelines for the Language Analyses

A. Semantics

1. Expressive vocabulary- make some comments about child's vocabulary usage. One way to do this is to describe the child's use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Does the child use a lot of different verbs, adjectives, and adverbs? Is the child's vocabulary very concrete or are there examples of abstract concepts?

3. For school-age children: Consider child's use of figurative language (metaphors, idioms, sarcasm, etc.)

4. Summarize child's semantic development.

B. Morphology and Word Classes

1. Grammatical Morphemes- indicate which morphemes are used correctly, inconsistently, or not at all. Provide examples of use.

2. Word Classes: make some comments about use of pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and negatives.

C. Syntax

1. Provide examples of utterances from your sample for the various phrase and clause structures used by your child (e.g., examples should be provided of object clauses, adverbials, and conjoined sentences for children at Stage IV and beyond).

2. What stage or language level best characterizes the child’s speech?

3. What is the most advanced language structure?

D. Pragmatics

1. Make some comments about child’s ability to initiate turns, ask and respond to queries, request clarification and make repairs.

2. Is the child a good communicator?

E. General Summary

Summarize child's language development by comparing and contrasting child language across the various domains of language.