Students

LING2214 – Introduction to Psycholinguistics

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Xin Wang
x.wang1@mq.edu.au
Iain Giblin
iain.giblin@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
LING110 or LING111 or LING1111 or PSY104 or PSYC104 or PSYU1104 or PSYX104 or PSYX1104 or PSYU1101 or PSY105 or PSYC105 or PSYU1105 or PSYX105 or PSYX1105 or PSYU1102 and 50cp at 1000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces a psychological perspective into the study of language. We explore models of the perceptual and cognitive processes that are involved in acquiring and using linguistic knowledge, considering evidence from typical language users and people with language disorders. Specific topics will be drawn from a set that includes: word recognition and understanding; sentence comprehension; language production; aphasia; first language acquisition, skilled reading and reading development, second language acquisition, bilingualism and multilingualism. 

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: Describe and evaluate theories and research in psycholinguistics
  • ULO2: Identify questions and issues raised in the field of Psycholinguistics.
  • ULO3: Identify the methods of data collection that psycholinguists use
  • ULO4: Critically analyse empirical research articles in psycholinguistics.
  • ULO5: Interpret empirical data in relation to theoretical questions/issues
  • ULO6: Analyse language disorders, including linguistic disorders in reading.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
A written task critically reviewing a published research article 20% No 04/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
A research report (2400 words) 35% No 28/10/2026 Individual Yes Open
multiple choice questions 45% No Exam Period Individual No Observed

A written task critically reviewing a published research article

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 04/09/2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students need to answer a set of questions based on a research article.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and evaluate theories and research in psycholinguistics
  • Identify questions and issues raised in the field of Psycholinguistics.
  • Identify the methods of data collection that psycholinguists use
  • Critically analyse empirical research articles in psycholinguistics.
  • Interpret empirical data in relation to theoretical questions/issues
  • Analyse language disorders, including linguistic disorders in reading.

A research report (2400 words)

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 28/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

The report is based on a class experiment for which each student is encouraged to participate.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and evaluate theories and research in psycholinguistics
  • Identify questions and issues raised in the field of Psycholinguistics.
  • Identify the methods of data collection that psycholinguists use
  • Critically analyse empirical research articles in psycholinguistics.
  • Interpret empirical data in relation to theoretical questions/issues
  • Analyse language disorders, including linguistic disorders in reading.

multiple choice questions

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 45%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

Exam questions assessing knowledge from the unit. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and evaluate theories and research in psycholinguistics
  • Identify questions and issues raised in the field of Psycholinguistics.
  • Identify the methods of data collection that psycholinguists use
  • Interpret empirical data in relation to theoretical questions/issues
  • Analyse language disorders, including linguistic disorders in reading.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

LING2214 is delivered through a weekly two-hour lecture and one-hour tutorial on campus. These lectures are also live streamed and recorded on Echo360. You are highly encouraged to attend tutorials as they are highly relevent to our assessments and class content.   

It is essential to attend the weekly tutorials and lectures. If you are unwell or unable to get to the campus in a particular week, please discuss with your tutors and attend another one if possible. We do not record tutorials, because it is exercise-based. We also don't offer online tutorials. 

In most weeks, students will be asked to complete some reading to accompany the topics that we are studying. Details of weekly reading and links to the relevant articles and chapters can be found on the weekly lecture slides. Tutorial readings will be posted on ilearn each week. The main source of reading is from 

TEXTBOOK Harley, T.A. (2014). The psychology of language: From data to theory (4th ed.). Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press Ltd

The class time and venue (room) can be found on the University timetable.

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 connect.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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.05 of the Handbook