MAAL7006 Psycholinguistics
COURSE TEACHER:
Dr. Derek Chan
Email: dhlchan@hku.hk
Aims/Objectives
This course is an introduction to psycholinguistics – the study of how human beings comprehend, produce, and acquire language. It contrasts with the more static view of language and the study of it in other areas of applied linguistics. Psycholinguistics focuses on the psychological reality of language. One guiding question is what psychological mechanisms support the unique human capacity for language (and how they operate). We will explore this question from a multi-disciplinary perspective, combining insights and tools from cognitive psychology, linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and computer science. In this course, we will cover topics central to the psycholinguistics of bilingualism and second language acquisition, including word recognition, sentence comprehension, speech production and errors, code switching, simultaneous interpretation, aphasia and language disorders, and language and thought. Students will critically read the literature and debates, learn to design basic experiments using paradigms such as priming, self-paced reading, and language switching tasks, and look for application opportunities for language classrooms or beyond.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs):
| CLO No. | CLO Statement
Upon successful completion of this Module, you should be able to: |
| 1 | Establish a broad understanding of key concepts, questions, theories, and applications in psycholinguistics |
| 2 | Analyze and evaluate theoretical and empirical literature critically and scholarly |
| 3 | Appreciate basic design principles, methods, and complexities of psycholinguistic experiments |
| 4 | Apply psycholinguistic knowledge to varying fields such as psychology, marketing, translation, legal studies, and language teaching |
Course Organization
There are 6 sessions of 3-hours contact time each for this course. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to interactive activities during class and on Moodle’s discussion forums.
Schedule: tbc
| Session | Date | Topic | Reading
(Essential reading in bold) |
Experimental paradigm |
| 1 | Introduction
Psychological mechanisms
Bilingual memory (to be continued in Session 2)
|
Miller (1990)
Carroll (2008) Ch. 3
De Groot (2013) Ch. 8 |
Stroop task
|
|
| 2 | Speech production and errors | Carroll (2008) Ch. 8
Griffin (2004) |
Slip of the tongue
Eye-tracking |
|
| 3 | Comprehension
Sentence processing |
Carroll (2008) Ch. 4 (pp.91-101)
Traxler (2012) Ch. 4 |
Garden path; self-paced reading |
|
| 4 | Language disorder and aphasia | Traxler (2012) Ch. 13 (pp. 479-486, 503-508) | ||
| 5 | Language and thought | Boroditsky (2011); Stutterheim & Carroll (2006) | Priming | |
| 6 | Group presentations
Course evaluation, wrap-up |
Note. This schedule is tentative. It will be subject to changes as the semester unfolds.
Contingency plan: In case of unforeseen circumstances (e.g. sickness, bad weather indicated by a Black Rainstorm signal and Typhoon No. 8 or above https://www.hku.hk/others/bad-weather.html, or the University moves all teaching online with very short notice), please stay tuned for latest announcements posted on Moodle. I strive to post the latest announcements at least two hours before class. This is to minimize disruption to your commute to and from campus, and other study/work schedule and progress. A make-up class will be arranged shortly after, in case a session is cancelled.
References and Resources
Course texts
Boroditsky, L. (2011). How languages construct time. In S. Dehaene & E. M. Brannon (Eds.), Space, time, and number in the brain (pp. 333-341). Academic Press.
Carroll, D. W. (2008). Psychology of language. (5th Ed.). Thomson Wadsworth.
De Groot, A. M. B. (2013). Bilingual memory. In F. Grosjean & P. Li (Eds.), The psycholinguistics of bilingualism (pp.171-191). Wiley.
Griffin, Z. M. (2004). The eyes are right when the mouth is wrong. Psychological Science, 15, 814-821.
Grosjean, F., & Li, P. (Eds.). (2013). The psycholinguistics of bilingualism. Wiley.
Meuter, R. F. I., & Allport, A. (1999). Bilingual language switching in naming: Asymmetrical costs of language selection. Journal of Memory and Language, 40, 25-40.
Miller, G. A. (1990). The place of language in a scientific psychology. Psychological Science, 1, 7-14.
Stutterheim, C. v., & Carroll, M. (2006). The impact of grammatical temporal categories on ultimate attainment in L2
learning. In Byrnes, H., Weger-Guntharp, H. D., & Sprang, K. A. (Eds.), Educating for advanced foreign language capacities: Constructs, curriculum, instruction, assessment (pp. 40-53). Georgetown University Press.
Traxler, M. J. (2012). Introduction to psycholinguistics: Understanding language science. Wiley.
Other recommended references
Fernández, E. M., & Cairns, H. S. (Eds.). (2018). The handbook of psycholinguistics. Wiley. https://doi-org.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/10.1002/9781118829516
Sedivy, J. (2020). Language in mind: An introduction to psycholinguistics (2nd ed.). Oxford. [not available at HKU Libraries]
Tomasello, M. (Ed.). (2012). The new psychology of language: Cognitive and functional approaches to language structure Vol. 2. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Traxler, M. J., & Gernsbacher, M. A. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook of psycholinguistics. Academic Press.
Resources
ScienceDirect [Psycholinguistics]
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics [Q&A]
CUHK Virtual Psycholinguistics Forum [Webinar] https://cuhklpl.github.io/forum.html
Psychology Today [François Grosjean’s blog]
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/contributors/francois-grosjean-phd
Assessment Tasks
| Task No. | Type of Assessment Task/Activities | Mode of Assessment | Weighting | Due date | Related CLO(s) |
| 1 | Final paper* | Individual | 70% | tbc | 1,2,3,4 |
| 2 | Oral presentation** | Group | 30% | tbc | 1,2,3,4 |
Note on assessment tasks.
*Produce an 1800-word (±10%) final paper on a focused psycholinguistic topic. This is the space (and output) to demonstrate your critical understanding of some psycholinguistic issues that have meaningful theoretical or practical ramifications. The more original your paper is, as demonstrated by a sharp focus, original insights and examples, compelling writing, as well as sound arguments against the literature evidence, the higher the quality of the paper. Please submit a softcopy of the written assignment to Turnitin by the due date.
** Form groups of 6, deliver a 10-minute intellectually thoughtful presentation followed by a 5-minute interactive Q&A session, based on any one question prompt given on Moodle. Prepare Powerpoint slides; Encourage participation from fellow classmates. Preferably, all members contribute to deliver the presentation.
A reminder on teamwork: Psycholinguistics like other disciplines is a collaborative endeavor. Please ensure you and teammates are fully engaged and are in good working spirit. Elect a group leader if it helps to bring the group together. The leader should bridge differences and resolve disputes if any. You may turn to your instructor Derek as a measure of last resort to combat any unresolved issue(s).
General Standard for Assessment
- Understanding of the task and key concepts/issues involved;
- Depth of analysis and/or critique in response to the task
- Use of appropriate professional and/or research literature to support response;
- Structure and organization of response;
- Presentation of response according to appropriate academic and linguistic conventions
Grade Descriptors
| Grade
(grade point) |
Description |
| A+ (4.3)
A (4) A- (3.7)
Excellent |
Overall, a very impressive and excellent piece of work, equivalent to a distinction. Includes the majority of the following features:
Excellent result. A thorough grasp of the subject as demonstrated by original, creative or exceptionally astute analysis and synthesis of ideas or critical interpretation of texts/issues/other course content or reflection on learning experience. Ample evidence of familiarity with relevant reading and research as well as very effective organizational, rhetorical and presentation skills as appropriate to the assessment task. Students display excellent communication skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, oral and aural competencies. |
| B+ (3.3)
B (3) B- (2.7)
Good |
Overall, a good and commendable piece of work. Includes the majority of the following features:Good to very good result. A good to very good grasp of the subject as demonstrated by generally persuasive analysis and synthesis of ideas or critical interpretation of texts/issues/other course content or reflection on learning experience. Some evidence of a generally sound understanding of relevant reading and research as well as very effective organizational, rhetorical and presentation skills as appropriate to the assessment task. Students display good to very good communication skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, oral and aural competencies.
|
| C+ (2.3)
C (2) C- (1.7)
Satisfactory |
Overall, a satisfactory piece of work. Includes a majority of the following features:
Satisfactory to reasonably good result. A reasonable grasp of the subject as demonstrated by some analysis and synthesis of ideas or critical interpretation of texts/issues/other course content or reflection on learning experience. Familiarity with relevant reading and research is adequate but tends to be rather descriptive with little evidence of critical reflection, but organizational, rhetorical and presentation skills, as appropriate to the assessment task, still contribute to overall coherence satisfactorily. Students display reasonable communication skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, oral and aural competencies. |
| D+ (1.3)
D (1.0)
Pass |
Overall, a bare pass. Includes a majority of the following features:
Barely satisfactory result. A minimal grasp of the subject with little analysis of ideas or critical interpretation of texts/issues/other course content or reflection on learning experience. Hardly any evidence of familiarity with relevant reading or research as required for the assessment task. Ideas presented are generally not well- organized or well-argued but still largely comprehensible. Students display minimal communication skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, oral and aural competencies.
|
| F (0)
Fail |
Overall, a very poor piece of work. Includes a majority of the following features:
Unsatisfactory result. A poor grasp of the subject with negligible or largely inaccurate analysis of ideas or interpretation of texts/issues/other course content or reflection on learning experience. A general lack of familiarity with relevant reading or research, as required for the assessment task. Work presented is poorly organized, largely irrelevant and incoherent. Work fails to reach the level expected for a master’s curriculum. Students display poor communication skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, oral and aural competencies.
|
Academic Conduct
- Regular class attendance and punctuality is required to pass the course.
- Assignments will not be accepted after the due date without good/medical reason(s). Late penalty will be enforced to ensure fairness. To be precise, 20% of the assignment grade will be deducted for late submission after 48 hours of the due date. Penalty will be dealt with separately from the quality of work submitted.
- APA (7th) referencing is required for all assignments.
- Plagiarism is strictly forbidden
To avoid plagiarism, students are recommended to read the following materials:
- A HKU booklet: What is plagiarism? (http://www.hku.hk/plagiarism)
- Plagiarism and how to avoid it? By David Gardner (from CAES) (http://www4.caes.hku.hk/plagiarism)
- HKU Library resources (https://lib.hku.hk/general/research/libsupport/index-2.html)
- HKU Library about plagiarism (https://lib.hku.hk/turnitin/about.html)