Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook
This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2005-2006 (archived)

Module LING3381: FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION BY EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS

Department: Linguistics and English Language

LING3381: FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION BY EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS

TypeLevelCreditsAvailabilityModule CapLocation
Open 3 20 Available in 2005/2006 None. Durham

Pre-requisites

  • Sentence Structure/Child Language Acquisition (LING1031).

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations

  • None.

Aims

  • The acquisition of language under exceptional circumstances involves two sub-areas.
  • First, we look at the nature of the role played by the input the child receives, by considering the acquisition of language by children for whom input is atypical or delayed (eg.
  • profoundly deaf children not exposed to sign language, children in complete isolation).
  • Then we examine evidence of a domain-specific language module from children with either cognitive or linguistic defects.

Content

  • TOPICS: Fundamentals: innateness, modularity.
  • Internal factors which alter development: brain damage, hemispherectomy, output factors: motoric deficits, damage to the speech apparatus.
  • General Cognitive impairment: Down's syndrome, William's syndrome, Autism.
  • Specific Cognitive (linguistic) Impairment: Specific language impairment, deviant phonology.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge
  • .
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • .

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotal HoursAttendance Monitored
Lectures 10 Weekly in term 1 2 hours 20
Seminars 5 Fortnightly in terms 2 and 3 1 hour 5
Preparation and Reading 175
Total 200

Summative Assessment

ComponentComponent WeightingElementLength/DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Essay 50% essay, due end of week 19 2500 wprds 100%
Examination 50% unseen exam 2 hours 100%

Formative Assessment

Seminar presentations (based on data collections from children) - terms 2 and 3

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.