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Introduction to Development & Language 2 - PSY00012C

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  • Department: Psychology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Hannah Hobson
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

This module aims to introduce student to the study of the development in infancy. It aim to introduce students to what psychologist know about the development of cognitive, linguistic, and motoric abilities in infancy. The aim of the second half of the course is to introduce student to the develop of language across childhood.

Module learning outcomes

  • Understand the immense changes that occur between conception and age 2 including infant brain development and factors impacting on brain development
  • Understand the development of cognitive abilities and early communication abilities during infancy
  • Understand early social development
  • Appreciate how methodological advances have shed light on infants' abilities
  • Understand the distinction, in the context of language development, between innate endowments and learned knowledge
  • Understand the basic phenomena associated with categorical perception
  • Understand the type of learning that takes place in utero and its contribution to later language development (prosodic and syllabic sensitivity)
  • Understand the challenges of learning words and ascribing meaning to those words
  • Understand the how statistics contribute to word learning and grammar learning
  • Understand how children learn to combine words into meaningful sentences
  • Understand the distinction between language disorders, auditory processing disorders, and motor speech disorders

Module content

Initially this module will explore prenatal physical development in humans, focusing on understanding how the brain develops. It will explore infants' cognitive development and discuss how cognitive development is studied and what some of the associated methodological problems. It will also cover infant expression and understanding of emotion and the development of communication skills. The second half of this module will explore how language abilities over childhood. Topic covered include what babies can learn about sound, speech and language while still in the womb, how children acquire the meaning of words and syntax, and communication disorders in childhood.

Indicative assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Introduction to Development & Language 2		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Introduction to Development & Language 2		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Marks will be released via e:vision.

Indicative reading

Harley, T. A. (2008). The Psychology of Language: From data to theory (3rd. ed.) Hove: Psychology press.

Slater S. & Bremner, J. G. (2011). An Introduction to Developmental Psychology, 2nd edition.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.