Students

SPHL3310 – Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives in Speech and Language Development

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Co-Convenor
Elise Tobin
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
50cp at 2000 level or above including LING2217 or LING217
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces students to theoretical and clinical perspectives on children’s acquisition of speech and language in the infant, toddler, and pre-school years. These topics are discussed with respect to typical as well as less typical language development. Tutorials and assignments focus on the understanding and communication of language development research to parents, and analysing linguistic data in preparation of clinical diagnosis.

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:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate and apply an advanced understanding of how typically developing children (0-5) develop speech and language.
  • ULO2: Communicate a basic understanding of ways that speech and language development can be atypical.
  • ULO3: Evaluate and make informed decisions regarding theories and research in typical and atypical speech and language development.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team to communicate language acquisition research and its implications to the general public.
  • ULO5: Discuss the impact that (atypical) speech and language development has on the children’s family and on their own ability to participate in society.
  • ULO6: Analyse, interpret, and report on speech and language samples.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Podcast research commentary 25% No Weeks 10-13
Research Participation 5% No Week 13
Phonological Development Quiz 10% No Week 5
Exam 40% No Week 14
Case Report 20% No Week 2 of recess

Podcast research commentary

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: Weeks 10-13
Weighting: 25%

 

Students will work in groups to produce a short podcast aimed at parents of young children. In the podcast, the students will present parents with information about a research study on infant language development, and provide a balanced interpretation of the implications for how parents could scaffold the language development of their child. Each student will also submit a one-page guided personal essay and mark their peers on their group work. A students mark is based on the group mark for the podcast (5 minutes; 50%) and the individual mark for the personal essay (1 page; 40%) and the peer-mark (10%)

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate and apply an advanced understanding of how typically developing children (0-5) develop speech and language.
  • Communicate a basic understanding of ways that speech and language development can be atypical.
  • Evaluate and make informed decisions regarding theories and research in typical and atypical speech and language development.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team to communicate language acquisition research and its implications to the general public.

Research Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 5%

 

Research Participation is an optional component of some units offered by the Department of Linguistics. This usually involves a choice between either participating in research at the Department for Linguistics for credit or completing an alternative assessment task. Experimental participation is your choice. You are free to choose whether you will participate. If you do not wish to participate you will have a choice of an alternative assessment for the same marks. If you choose to neither participate in one of the available research participation sessions nor to participate in any offered alternative assessment, you will not be awarded the credit for this component of the unit.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate and make informed decisions regarding theories and research in typical and atypical speech and language development.

Phonological Development Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 10%

 

Students will sit an online quiz covering children's phonological development.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate and apply an advanced understanding of how typically developing children (0-5) develop speech and language.
  • Communicate a basic understanding of ways that speech and language development can be atypical.
  • Analyse, interpret, and report on speech and language samples.

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: Week 14
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will undertake an examination covering course content.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate and apply an advanced understanding of how typically developing children (0-5) develop speech and language.
  • Communicate a basic understanding of ways that speech and language development can be atypical.
  • Evaluate and make informed decisions regarding theories and research in typical and atypical speech and language development.

Case Report

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 27 hours
Due: Week 2 of recess
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will be provided with raw data and initial phonological analysis of a speech and language assessment. They will submit a case report that summarizes and analyzes the findings and relates the findings back to the scientific literature (1500 words).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate and apply an advanced understanding of how typically developing children (0-5) develop speech and language.
  • Communicate a basic understanding of ways that speech and language development can be atypical.
  • Discuss the impact that (atypical) speech and language development has on the children’s family and on their own ability to participate in society.
  • Analyse, interpret, and report on speech and language samples.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Students have access to weekly pre-recorded lectures, weekly required readings, fortnightly lecture/reading Q&A sessions, weekly tutorial instructions and  tutorial sessions (some weeks excepted), and assignment-specific resources.

All required readings and lecture materials provide the necessary content knowledge for successful completion of the exam and provide the basis for successful completion of the assignments. Tutorials are specifically designed to develop the skills required for the successful completion of the assignments. During the student-driven Q&A sessionsyou can seek all answers you need to prepare for the exam.

We are here to support your learning and can only successfully guide you through the concepts and techniques if you regularly engage with the materials, your peers, and the teaching staff. It is therefore expected that you engage with the readings and pre-recorded lectures on a weekly basis, prepare for and attend lecture/reading Q&A sessions, and prepare for and attend all scheduled tutorials.

We welcome all your questions during the Q&A sessions and tutorials. You can also pose written questions on the iLearn discussion fora, for your peers, tutor, or lecturer to answer. Questions asked via the personal iLearn messages may be (anonymously) re-posted in the discussion fora, to ensure all students have access to the same information. Questions of a personal nature are of course excluded from this procedure - please contact the unit convener directly if you have any personal questions or concerns.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.


Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook