Module manager: Valentina Brunetto
Email: v.brunetto@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| MODL1060 | Language: Structure and Sound |
| LING3190 | Language Acquisition |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Language acquisition is a fascinating manifestation of the human condition, and it has generated a lot of interest and debates in the research community as well as the general public. This module will introduce students to the leading questions of language acquisition research, by surveying seminal and cutting-edge studies and evaluating their implications for current debates. Focusing on the evidence available and on the methods used to find that evidence, the module explores a number of key questions such as how babies start making sense of the language around them, how they acquire words and the structure of language, and how cognitive development interacts with language development. The last part of the module is dedicated to bilingual first language acquisition and second language acquisition in children and adults. The focus is on experimental evidence, enabling students to gain a good understanding of the principles of research design, as well as an ability to evaluate results critically. Students are expected to have been introduced to linguistics and language acquisition on a Level 1 module in linguistics or English language before enrolling on this module. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The module aims to:
1. Familiarise students with the key concepts and research questions in language acquisition.
2. Survey important findings in language acquisition research.
3. Introduce students to the key experimental methodologies used in language acquisition research.
4. Develop students' analytical skills through practical analyses of data.
5. Develop students' critical thinking through the discussion of research papers.
6. Develop students' research skills through the review of studies and the creation of an experimental design.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Explore core concepts, theories and methodologies used in language acquisition research.
2. Apply the fundamental principles of experimental designs in language acquisition research.
3. Select and analyse naturalistic and experimental findings to illustrate a point under discussion, using appropriate technical terms.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Apply effective written communication skills to present a coherent research question
5. Identify and explore appropriate research methods for collecting language acquisition data.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students are given informal feedback and guidance on how to develop their research proposal in the seminar sessions. The instructions for the research proposal are disseminated at the start of the module and students are guided to critically review empirical studies in the weekly seminars following the assessment guidelines as a model to read critically. The literature reviewed each week familiarises students with a variety of naturalistic and experimental data and methodologies to assess child language, and students are introduced to aspects of research designs which they can then apply to their own proposal.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Research proposal | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 02/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team