Goals

  

The course is devoted to the discussion of internal and external factors in language acquisition in different situations and contexts (L1, L2, 2L1, child language acquisition, adult language acquisition, etc.). Apart from the conditions imposed by the language system internally (interfaces), there are individual factors which affect linguistic development (variables such as age, attitude, motivation, cognitive style, etc.); moreover there are external factors that additionally influence language knowledge (input conditions, learning contexts, etc.). The main goal of the course is to gain an understanding of the nature of language acquisition processes and factors and to relate them to general learning theories identifying cognitive, social and linguistic variations.

We will analyze learners' linguistic productions and relate them to their stage of language development, proficiency level and the acquisition of communicative skills.

 

 

Contents and Schedule

 

Week 1 (September 22) [Prof. C. Pérez]

Introduction. Language acquisition: From theory to practice

 

Week 2 (September 29) [Prof. A. Bel]

Age and the critical period hypothesis. Fossilization

Patty: a case study

 

Week 3 (October 6) [Prof.A. Bel]

Cognitive and linguistic modules.

Internal and external interfaces

 

 

Week 4 (October 13) [Prof. C. Pérez]

Paradigms in SLA research

 

Week 5 ( October 20) [Prof. C. Pérez]

Bilingual and multilingual development

 

Week 6 ( October 27) [Prof. A. Bel]

Linguistic competence in (S)LA: the pragmatic-syntax interface

 

Week 7 ( November 3) [Prof. A. Bel]

Linguistic competence in (S)LA: the morphology-syntax interface

 

Week 8 ( November 10) [Prof. C. Pérez]

SLA in the classroom

 

Week 9 ( November 17)r [Prof. C. Pérez]

Individual variables in LA

 

Week 10 (November 24) [Profs. C. Pérez, A. Bel]

            Seminar discussion session

 

 

Assessment

Students are expected to write a 4-6 page detailed design of an empirical research study. There is no need to carry it out; what is expected is the capacity to; (a) choose and justify a timely area of inquiry and identify a phenomenon to analyze; (b) present the theoretical background to the study; (c) establish research questions and hypotheses; (d) develop an adequate methodological design, that is identify the sample, propose the instruments for data collection and describe a model of analysis; and (e) conclude with your own ideas.

 

Required reading

Gass, S. & L. Selinker (2001) Second Language Acquisition. An Introductory Course, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2^nd edition.