First language syntax

Aims

Aims

The module provides an opportunity to study in some more depth some of the most debated issues in the development by children of syntactic knowledge in their first language (L1A). In addition, students will gain experience in the interpretation of both experimental and corpus data in child language syntax.

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand the differences between competing generative approaches to L1A
• Show how different types of (L1) syntactic data can be used to provide evidence for (or against)
  • Competing accounts of L1 syntactic development
  • Theoretical syntactic analyses of particular parts of grammar
• Demonstrate familiarity with the advantages and disadvantages of differing techniques for investigating L1 syntactic development
• Design and carry out a small-scale study in syntactic development

Note that a Research Extension module can be taken alongside this module, for students who wish to write a dissertation.

This module will be capped at 35.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

All students must have successfully completed:

• L16I Intermediate syntax (LAN00016I)

In addition, students must have succesfully completed:

• L08I Introduction to language acquisition (LAN00008I) 
  OR
• L43H Formal syntactic theory (LAN00043H)

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

Contact hours are based around 8 x 90-minute seminars (6 in Spring and 2 in Summer) and 6 x 1-hour practical sessions on investigating corpus data in the Spring.

Teaching programme

TBA

Teaching materials

A reading pack will be provided by the tutor.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on formative work

• Exercises on the corpora will be assigned throughout the module.
• Class feedback will be provided.

Summative assessment and feedback

• Seminar contribution. You will be expected to contribute actively to the seminars through discussion and presentations.
  • Weight: 20%
  • Oral feedback during seminars.
• A 4000-word project, due in Week 5, Summer Term
  • Weight: 80%
  • Written feedback available by the end of Summer Term.

Skills

Transferable skills developed in this module

All modules provide an opportunity to work on general oral/written communication skills (in class and in assessments) and general self management (organising your studies), alongside the specific skills in language or linguistics that the module teaches.

In addition, this module will allow you to particularly develop skills in problem solving: in this module you will explore the link between real life data (child language) and theories of syntactic acquisition, and how researchers develop testable hypotheses to differentiate the predictions of competing theories.

Follow this link to hear how past students use transferable skills from their degree in their current jobs.