Students

LING334 – Child Language Acquisition

2015 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Rosalind Thornton
Contact via rosalind.thornton@mq.edu.au
AHH 3N-516
By appointment
Administration
Margaret Wood
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
6cp in LING units at 200 level including (LING220 or LING214 or LING217 or PSY238) or admission to the GCertSphComm or GDipSphComm
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit introduces students to current theories of language acquisition, and studies children's acquisition of word learning, morphology, syntax and pragmatics. Other topics include child bilingualism and child second language acquisition. Tutorials focus on working with data, including transcript data from children's spontaneous speech, and discussions of appropriate experimental methodologies for evaluating children's knowledge of language.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Understand the range of methods used to assess children's grammatical competence and issues of ethical conduct in working with children
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Activities 20% Weeks 2 through 11
Online Quiz 8% Week 4
Assignment 1 15% Week 7
Online Quiz 2 7% Week 10
Assignment 2 20% Week 12
Final Exam 30% Final Exam Period

Activities

Due: Weeks 2 through 11
Weighting: 20%

Weekly activities based on readings or other materials provided online.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the range of methods used to assess children's grammatical competence and issues of ethical conduct in working with children
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Online Quiz

Due: Week 4
Weighting: 8%

This quiz tests students' understanding of the different theories of language acquisition


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path

Assignment 1

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%

Analysis of data taken from child transcripts in CHILDES


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Online Quiz 2

Due: Week 10
Weighting: 7%

Review of class material


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path

Assignment 2

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 20%

Analysis and interpretation of a set of data taken from child transcripts in CHILDES


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Final Exam

Due: Final Exam Period
Weighting: 30%

Examination covers topics from the entire semester. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path

Delivery and Resources

Students need access to a computer. The course requires students to download an open access computer program named CLAN to analyse transcripts of child language.

Lectures are recorded using Echo 360 for the first 3 weeks. Later lectures will be delivered through the ilearn website.

Face to face time is a 2 hour weekly workshop.

Unit Schedule

Please see ilearn website for week by week schedule of topics.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Understand the range of methods used to assess children's grammatical competence and issues of ethical conduct in working with children
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Assessment tasks

  • Activities
  • Online Quiz
  • Assignment 1
  • Online Quiz 2
  • Assignment 2
  • Final Exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the relation between linguistic theory and theories of language acquisition
  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Assessment tasks

  • Activities
  • Online Quiz
  • Assignment 1
  • Online Quiz 2
  • Assignment 2
  • Final Exam

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the predictions that different theories of language acquisition make for the developmental learning path
  • Understand the range of methods used to assess children's grammatical competence and issues of ethical conduct in working with children
  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Assessment tasks

  • Activities
  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Gain experience in research by testing an experimental hypothesis using data gathered from a database of child language.

Assessment task

  • Assignment 2

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Understand the range of methods used to assess children's grammatical competence and issues of ethical conduct in working with children