Students
LING334 – Child Language Acquisition
2017 – S1 Day
General Information
Download as PDF
| 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
Tutor
Iain Giblin
AHH 3N-433
Tutor
Lyn Tieu
AHH-3N-404
|
|---|---|
| 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 GCertSphComm or GDipSphComm or DipSphComm
|
| 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.
This unit is a prerequisite for the Master of Speech and Language Pathology program.
|
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:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activities | 0% | No | Weeks 2 through 11 |
| Online Quiz 1 | 10% | No | Week 4 |
| Assignment 1 | 15% | No | Week 7 |
| Online Quiz 2 | 10% | No | Week 9 |
| Assignment 2 | 25% | No | Week 12 |
| Final Exam | 40% | No | Final Exam Period |
Activities
Due: Weeks 2 through 11
Weighting: 0%
Weekly activities based on readings or other materials provided online.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
Online Quiz 1
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 10%
This quiz tests students' understanding of theories of language acquisition
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
Assignment 1
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%
Evaluation of how language acquisition theories relate to phenomena in child language
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Online Quiz 2
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 10%
Review of class material
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
Assignment 2
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 25%
Research: Testing theories of language acquisition through analysis and interpretation of data from transcripts of child language in CHILDES
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Final Exam
Due: Final Exam Period
Weighting: 40%
Examination covers topics from the entire semester.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
Delivery and Resources
Lectures will be delivered online.
There will be a 2-hour face to face tutorial each week.
Students will need a laptop. We will download an open access program called CLAN from childes.psy.cmu.edu and use it to investigate phenomena in transcripts of child language.
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_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
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://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources 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
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Assessment tasks
- Activities
- Online Quiz 1
- 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
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of language acquisition and their predictions for the developmental learning path
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Assessment tasks
- Online Quiz 1
- 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
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
- Develop skills using CLAN, a computer program that searches transcripts of child data
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Assessment tasks
- Activities
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Final Exam
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
- Test experimental hypotheses through analysis and interpretation of a corpus of child data and communicate the findings
Assessment tasks
- Assignment 1
- 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
- Evaluate experimental methodologies used to assess children's grammatical competence and command the ethical issues surrounding working with children
Assessment tasks
- Activities
- Final Exam
Changes since First Published
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 21/02/2017 | Deletion of duplication of tutor name |