Instructor: Annika Tjuka
Email: [email protected]
Lecture: 14:15-15:45, Tuesday
In this course, we will explore how words are represented in the human mind. The representations of words are stored in the mental lexicon. Studies investigating the mental lexicon are interested in the storage and retrieval of words. We will examine the following questions: Is there one English mental lexicon? Does vocabulary acquisition in childhood differ from vocabulary acquisition in a second language? Does a bi-lingual speaker have two mental lexicons? The course is structured into three parts. First, we will discuss current theoretical views on the organization of the mental lexicon. Second, the processes of language acquisition are illustrated based on empirical studies. Third, we will adopt a broader perspective on the connection between meaning and words across the world’s languages. The course offers room for discussion of the theories in psycholinguistics and practical application of the content. The syllabus also includes tasks that prepare you for writing a term paper.
Prerequisite(s): successful completion of module Introduction to Linguistics (i.e. both subparts)
Materials and texts are available on Wordwise.
Starting in week 4 of the course, we will have a discussion about a research article at the beginning of each session. Three students will be the experts for a given article. As an expert, you need to read the entire article and must be able to answer the following questions:
Each expert prepares the answers to all questions so that you can answer them within 3-5 minutes.
Please prepare a two-sentence summary of the topic and research question based on your interest. This need not be the final topic of your term paper, but you should start to think about it. The topic and research question should be linked to the seminar.
Deadline: January 4 , 2021
The abstract is the basis for your term paper. It must include