This is an introductory course to psycholinguistics, which studies human language as a part of cognitive science. During this course we will see how language is processed in real time, how it is acquired by monolingual and bilingual speakers and also how new languages are learned throughout life. Similarly, we will also focus on language pathologies (both congenital and acquired) as well as on the neurocognitive and biological foundations of language faculty.

This course is an approach to language from an interdisciplinary perspective by taking into account the fields of linguistics, psychology and neuroscience (focused on studying language in the mind / brain).

During the course the main theories and the most usual research methods will be presented, as well as the main results of the research in psycholinguistics developed in the last decades. Special emphasis will be put on bilingualism and language learning phenomena (Basque / Spanish / and other languages).



Competences:

1. To be able to use the specific terminology usual in the field of psycholinguistics (related to CM01 of module 14 (Linguistics), with G002, G003, G008 of Basque Studies and Linguistics; related to CM01 of module 16 (Linguistics), with G003, G007, English Studies G009)



2. After finishing this course students will be able to gather, choose and interpret relevant information within the area of psycholinguistics with a critical spirit, as well as to demonstrate basic knowledge of psycholinguistics which will be acquired during the adequate elaboration and defense of arguments within the area (independently and in a team work) (related to MEC1, MEC2, MEC3, MEC4 and MEC5, M16CM03, G004 and G008 of English Studies, with M01CM03, with G003, G004, G005, G007, G008 of Basque Studies and Linguistics; with M01CM03, G008 of Philology, with G007 and G008 of Translation and Interpretation).



3. To develop the capacity for analysis and formulation of explanatory hypotheses about the use of Spanish, Basque and other languages, that is, about the linguistic diversity within (and out of) the Basque Country, using linguistic and psycholinguistic methodology (related to MEC1, MEC2 , MEC3, MEC4, MEC5, with M14CM02, M14CM4, M14CM5 and with Basque Studies and Linguistics G002, G003, G007, G008; related to M16CM02 and M16CM04, M16CM05 with GII7, G008, G009; with M01CM04, G00 G006, G009, G010 for Philology, with M01CM03, M01CM04 and with G006 for Translation and Interpretation).



4. To know how to address information and ideas related to psycholinguistic studies in at least one of the official languages of the Basque Country, both to a specialized and non-specialized audience (related to M14CM06, G001, G003, G004 of Basque Studies and Linguistics, with M16CM06 and with G007 and G009, G010 of English Studies, with M01CM01, with G009 and G010 of Translation and Interpretation, with M01CM01, G003, G007 of Philology).

1. What is Psycholinguistics?

a. Objectives of the field

b. History

c. Psycholinguistics as Cognitive Science

2. Learning to perceive: rhythms, sounds, syntax

a. What newborns know at birth

b. What babies learn in the first months

c. The connection between rhythm and syntax

3. Finding and using words

a. The dictionary in your head

b. How to say a word

c. How to understand a word

4. Processing sentences

a. Processing mechanisms

b. Ambiguity, ungrammaticality and syntactic complexity

c. Methods for studying real-time language processing

5. Language in the brain

a. Neuroanatomy of language

b. Neuroimage and language

c. Afasia

6. Bilingualism and language learning

a. Bilingual and monolingual speakers

b. Lexical access and language switching in bilingual speakers

c. Do bilinguals have advantages over monolinguals?

As evaluation method, a continuous assessment method will be followed; therefore, attending class is compulsory. The course will consist of presentations, discussions and practical exercises. The continuous assessment will be carried out by means of tasks and exercises developed during the semester (tests and questions to develop, etc.). The final mark will be based on students’ active participation during the class, and on the outcomes obtained from the exercises developed during the course (50%), and on the final exam (50%).



The evaluation criteria are the following:

+ Appropriate responses

+ Correct spelling and grammar

+ Coherence

+ Adequate argumentation

+ Use of specific (=corresponding) terminology.

+ Correct sources of information.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 50
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 50

In general a continuous assessment method will be followed. However, all students have the right to be evaluated according to the final evaluation procedure independently of whether or not they have followed the continuous assessment method. In order to withdraw from the continuous assessment, they must write the instructor responsible for the course expressing their desire to do so. Students can withdraw within the first 9 weeks of the course, according to the academic calendar of their centre (see the form to be filled in here: https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/letren-fakultatea/secretariat-formalities).

Withdrawal from an exam call will be assessed as "no grade reported" [ez aurkeztua, no presentad@]. Regarding an exam call, all students can withdraw from a call until at least one month before the date of the end of the teaching schedule of the course. This withdrawal has to be submitted in a written form to the instructor responsible for the course. For those students who have chosen the final evaluation method, not sitting for an exam on the official date will be qualified as an automatic withdrawal from the corresponding call (see the corresponding regulation here: https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/estudiosdegrado-gradukoikasketak/ebaluaziorako-arautegia).



- An exercise not delivered on time will by graded as zero.

- Delivering all the exercises is not a must.

The mark will be based on an exam (100% of the mark).

Harley, T. (2008). The Psychology of Language. From Data to Theory. New York: Psychology Press.
Traxler, M. (2011). Introduction to Psycholinguistics: Understanding Language Science. Wiley.

Basic bibliography

Sedivy, J. (2014). Language in Mind: An introduction to Psycholinguistics. Sinauer Associates, Massachusetts.

Warren, P. (2013). Introducing Psycholinguistics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

In-depth bibliography

Fabbro, F. (eds.). (1999). Concise Encyclopedia of Language Pathology. Elsevier, Oxford.
Kahneman, Daniel. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York.
Meisel, J.M. (2011), First and Second language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics.
Moro, A. (2010). The Boundaries of Babel: The Brain and the Enigma of Impossible Languages. The MIT Press, Cambridge (MA).
Sekerina, I.A.; Fernández, E.M.; Clahsen, H. (2008), Developmental psycholinguistics: on-line methods in children's language processing. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Journals

Applied Psycholinguistics
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Brain and Language
First Language
International Journal of Bilingualism
Journal of Child Language
Lingua

Web addresses

International Association for the Study of Child language
http://iascl.talkbank.org/
The National Aphasia Association
http://www.aphasia.org/news_and_events/news_and_events.html
American speech hearing association
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-apd-child.htm
Asociación para el estudio de la adquisición del lenguaje
http://www.aeal.eu/origenes.html
http://www.ehu.eus/HEB/