Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00-3:20pm in PCB 1100
Instructor: Lisa Pearl, Department of Cognitive Sciences, SBSG 2314
Instructor office hours: Tuesday 10:00am - 11:30am
Email is the best way to reach her to schedule an appointment not during these times. 
Teaching Assistants:
Lawrence Phillips, Department of Cognitive Sciences
Location for office hours: SBSG 2221
Office hours: Wednesday and Thursday 9:30am-11am
William Matchin, Department of Cognitive Sciences
Location for office hours: SBSG 2240
Office hours: Tuesday 3:30-4:30pm and Wednesday 2:00-4:00pm
Sierra Broussard, Department of Cognitive Sciences
Location for office hours: SSL 381
Office hours: Monday 1:00-3:00pm and Thursday 1:00-2:00pm
Email is the best way to reach the TAs to schedule an appointment not during these times.
Announcements:
- 1/9/14: TA office hours now available, to
start next week.
- 1/7/14: Welcome to the class webpage!
Note: All assignments, all lecture notes, and most reference readings can be found by clicking on the relevant link in the schedule section. In addition, any reference readings that are password protected can be accessed by using the username and password found in the first set of lecture notes (Introduction to Language Acquisition), which can be downloaded from the schedule section. Please note also that the first set of review questions (for the introductory material) is available to be downloaded and the first homework is accessible on EEE using the links on the schedule page.The material for the class that you are responsible for is covered completely in the course lecture notes, available (sometimes with accompanying podcasts) for download through the schedule section. However, reference materials are often helpful for understanding the material in the lecture notes, and will come primarily from the coursebook, websites, and occasionally short articles. These can all be found on the readings section and the schedule section.
Language is an incredibly complex system of knowledge. Not only are there multiple levels of representation - sounds and words and phrases and meanings - but within a given level, even simple output forms can be derived from multiple interacting pieces of knowledge. Yet as speakers of any given language, we are often blissfully unaware of how much we need to know in order to be able to communicate with language.
One of the most striking things about language is that all normally-developing children learn their native language flawlessly, especially when compared to adults trying to accomplish the same task. This is true despite adults' superior cognitive skills. Children of the world seem somehow suited for language acquisition in a way that adult humans - and other animals - are not.
In this class, we survey the broad topic of language acquisition, focusing not only on children's developmental trajectory, but also on what knowledge of language is, how language acquisition relates to cognition in general, and acquisition of language by speakers with sensory or cognitive deficits. Topics include the biological basis of language, levels of linguistic knowledge, language and cognition, and language in special populations.
This course counts as a category III GE course. After completing this course, successful students will be able to do the following:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theories, sources, and interpretations of human language acquisition behavior at the individual level.
- Understand and explain the scientific/interpretive methods used in (i) the acquisition of knowledge about human language learning behavior and (ii) the testing of competing theories about human language acquisition.