Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
The MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics (2011/12)
Psychology of language processing and language learning
This course provides students with an introduction to fundamental issues in the psychology of language processing and learning. Throughout both parts of the course there is an emphasis on practical demonstrations of critical experiments, illustrating different experimental methods, as well as providing a basis for critical evaluation.
(a) Monolingual and bilingual language processing
This part of the course gives an overview of the nature of language processing in adult monolinguals, and deals with the recognition of spoken and written words, word meaning, syntactic processing, and discourse comprehension. At various points in this traditional progression from lexical to discourse levels we shall digress to consider topics such as connectionism, language processing in bilinguals, and the determinants of language comprehension ability.
Reading for this course will include:
- Garrod, S. and Pickering M. (1999). Language Processing. Psychology Press.
- Altmann, G. (1997). The Ascent of Babel. Oxford University Press.
- Harley, T.A. (2001). The Psychology of Language. Lawrence Eribaum. 2nd edition.
- de Groot, A.M.B. and Kroll, J.F. (1997). Tutorials in Bilingualism. Lawrence Eribaum Associates.
(b) Psychological mechanisms of language learning
This part of the course deals with the cognitive under pinnings of language learning. We consider the neurobiology of learning, with particular emphasis on amnesia. We then look at research on implicit learning, short- and long-term memory systems and their potential role in language learning, the role of attention in learning and memory, research and theory on automaticity, and the interface between explicit and implicit knowledge.
Reading for this course will include:
- Baddeley, A. (1997). Human Memory: Theory and Practice. Hove: Psychology Press.
- Ellis, N.C. (1994). Implicit and Explicit Learning of Languages. New York: Academic Press.
