2134A-200
Psychology 2134A-200
Psychology of Language
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
Welcome to the Psychology of Language! I am certain we will learn a great deal together and have a great semester – Sarah Smits-Bandstra
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course introduces the vocabulary and concepts used by psychologists who study human language. The course covers traditional psycholinguistic topics such as meaning, speech perception, comprehension, production and theories of language acquisition.
Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course
Blended (Part face to face, part online) equivalent to 4 lecture hours, 0.5 course.
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Sarah Smits-Bandstra, Ph.D., Reg. CASLPO
Phone Number: 647-407-4154
Office Hours: Online (skype, email or OWL discussion board) or by phone Mondays and Fridays 9 am – 300 pm (or by appointment).
Email: smitsbandstra@gmail.com
Teaching Assistant:
Office
Office Hours:
Email:
Time and Location of Classes: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 pm, Rm: 113 North Campus Building.
There will be only 4 Tuesday classes from 1:30-3:30 PM during the semester that require mandatory attendance. The rest of the course will be online.
*Please note the following dates in your agenda/phone/organizer/calendar.
- Tuesday Sept 13, 130-330 PM: Introduction to the course
- Tuesday Oct 6, 1:30-3:30 PM: Exam One
- Tuesday Nov 10, 1:30-3:30 PM: Exam Two
- Final Exam: During exam period (December 10-21. Date/Time TBA
Discussions and/or assignments are always due by Tuesday at 4 PM on OWL. All assignments and class discussions can be done earlier than the due date, but will not be accepted (exams), or will lose 10% of the assignment/discussion grade for each day after the due date.
Connecting with the Course Instructor:
- When you email me, you can expect a response within 2 business days (Sat, Sun and holidays do not count). I will do my best to respond immediately on Mondays and Fridays between 9 AM and 230 PM. I plan to have the TA for the course respond to each of your online discussion posts. This response will be made within 5 business days.
- I plan to grade the assignments within 5 business days of when the assignment is completed to leave you with time to incorporate instructor feedback into your next assignment. You will be expected to carefully review feedback and apply suggestions for improvement. Feedback is given to support your success and develop your skills.
- You can use the “Self-Review” questions to prepare for each exam. Please feel free to ask me questions about what the correct answers for the Self-Review questions should be. Be sure to complete your Self-Review early so you have time to ask questions or do research for your exams. It is not realistic to expect an email response from me one hour before an exam.
- You can post any questions you have on the online forum “I Have a Question…”.
- I will do my very best to meet the above deadlines for feedback unless I have exceptional circumstances (in which case, you will receive notification of when to expect a response).
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
Technological Support Services:
▪ By Phone: 519 661-3800 or Ext. 83800
▪ In Person: Support Services Building - our drop in counter is on the main floor right inside the front doors
▪ By JIRA: Create a JIRA ticket at https://jira.uwo.ca/secure/CreateIssue.jspa?pid=10920&issuetype=6
▪ By Webform (if your password does not work to create a JIRA ticket) itshelp.uwo.ca
▪ Ask ITS askits.uwo.ca - get immediate answers to some of our more common inquiries
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Ludden, D. (2016). The Psychology of Language: An integrated approach. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-4522-8880-2
This textbook is essential for success in the course. You will need it to follow along with the online lectures and complete the assignments and class discussions. This text was chosen because it is a comprehensive overview of oral, visual and written aspects of language and also presents interesting information about languages across the world.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, the successful student should be able to:
- Define speech, language and communication.
- Evaluate theories of language processing (e.g., speech perception, sentence comprehension, word retrieval and speech production).
- Describe research methods for assessing perception and production of speech and language across the lifespan.
- Identify pathways and structures in the brain important for language functions.
- Identify differences in phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics across global languages.
5.0 EVALUATION
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
Below are activities you must complete to be successful in this course.
- Syllabus scavenger hunt (1%)
- Exams (3 exams worth 20% each or 60% of your final grade)
- Assignments (2 assignments worth 15% each or 30% of your final grade)
- Class Discussions (3 discussions worth 3% each or 9% of your final grade).
Syllabus Scavenger Hunt: (1% of your final grade). You are required to review the syllabus so you know what to do if you need support, an extension, if you are sick or absent, and where to concentrate your energy and time to get the best learning outcome.
Exams: Three exams (20% each or a total of 60% of your final grade ). They will consist of multiple choice and “select all the apply”. Each exam will test the material covered in the preceding unit. Exams are non-cumulative however concepts in later lectures build on those that we learned in the early classes. Not everything in the lecture will be in the readings, and not everything in the readings will be discussed in the lectures. But assume that all of it will be on the exam.
Assignments: Two written assignments (15% each or a total of 30% of your final grade). These assignments will require analysis and evaluation of content presented in the readings and lectures to help you process and learn the material in a more meaningful way. Each assignment will be a 500-word essay (single space, 12pt font, Times New Roman). Assignment One will compare and contrast two theories of speech perception or speech production. Assignment two will describe research methods for assessing perception and production of speech and language for infants or adults.
Class Discussion: Three class discussions (3% each or a total of 9% of your final grade). Students will be divided into small discussion groups. You will be required to post your personal reflections on course material and reply to other students within your group.
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
- Tuesday Oct 6, 1:30-3:30 PM: Exam One
- Tuesday Nov 10, 1:30-3:30 PM: Exam Two
- Final Exam: During exam period. Date/Time TBA
Make-ups for missed exams are handled by your home faculty's Academic Counselling office, not by the professor. They are provided only in cases of illness on the day of the exam, or for compassionate reasons. No make-up exams without proper documentation).
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Students will complete Modules 1 through 11 in this course, approximately one for each week. Modules are found on the OWL course homepage. Each module includes a brief description, module-level learning objectives, and an estimated time to complete.
MODULE DATE LECTURE STYLE TOPIC READING DUE
Module 1 13 Sep Face to Face Introduction Overview of Human Language 1 (pg 1-10, 12-20
40-41,43-45)
15 Sep Online Human Language 2 1 (pg 1-10, 12-20,
40-41,43-45)
Module 2 20 Sep Online The Science of Language Ch. 2 Post and Reply 1
Syllabus Scavenger Hunt
Due Sep 20 at 4 pm
22 Sep Online The Science of Language 2 Ch. 2
Module 3 27 Sep Online Speech Perception Ch. 3
29 Sep Online Speech Perception 2 Ch. 3 Self-Review
4 OCT FACE TO FACE EXAM 1
Module 4 6 Oct Online Speech Production Ch. 4
Module 5 11 Oct Online Words 1 Ch. 4 Post and Reply 2 Due Oct 6 at 4 pm
13 Oct Online Words 2 Ch. 5
Module 6 18 Oct Online Sentences Ch. 5
20 Oct Online Sentences 2 Ch. 6
Module 7 25 Oct Online Narratives and Discourse Ch. 7 Assignment 1 Due Oct 18 at 4 pm
27 Oct Fall Break
Module 8 1 Nov Online Reading and Writing 1 Ch. 8
3 Nov Online Reading and Writing 2 Ch. 8 Self-Review
8 NOV FACE TO FACE EXAM 2
Module 9 10 Nov Online Throughout the lifespan Ch. 11
Module 10 15 Nov Online Bilingualism Ch. 9 Post and Reply 3 Due Nov 15 at 4 pm
17 Nov Online Second Language Learning Ch. 9
Module 11 22 Nov Online Sign Languages Ch. 10
24 Nov Online Sign Language 2 Ch. 10
Module 12 29 Nov Online Language, Culture and Thought Ch. 12 Assignment 2 Due Nov 29 at 4 pm
1 Dec Online Language, Culture and Thought Ch. 12
Module 13 6 Dec Online Language and Technology Ch. 13 Self-Review
TBA-DEC FACE TO FACE FINAL EXAM
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg117.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2016 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
