Child bilingualism

Aims

Aims

This module will provide a review of bilingual development. Some of the issues to be considered are:

• Differences between child and adult bilingualism and between simultaneous and sequential bilingualism in childhood
• The controversy over one system vs. two in simultaneous bilingual acquisition
• The relation between bilingualism and intelligence or cognitive processing
• Code-switching in children vs. adults
• Aspects of bilingual education

Through a combination of lectures and readings, you will become acquainted with the findings of both case studies and group studies of bilingual children. The main theoretical issues debated in both the popular press and the scientific literature will be considered. By the end of the course you should have a good understanding of the complex questions surrounding child bilingualism and be able to critically evaluate some of the issues involved.

This module will be capped at 30.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

None.

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

Three hours per week, of which:

• One hour lecture
• One hour of discussion group a week
• One hour of seminar a week (in groups of about 15 students).

Teaching programme

Teaching materials

• A photocopy pack will be available for purchase from the Departmental Office.
• Chin, N. B. and Gillian Wigglesworth, G. (2007) Bilingualism: An Advanced Resource Book (London: Routledge)
  

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback 

Assessment and feedback

• A 2000-word paper will be assigned, to be submitted at the beginning of summer term.
  • Weight: 40%
This essay will involve analysis of child bilingual data to be taken from the CHILDES databank or other published sources.
• An open examination.
  • Weight: 60%
The exam will include essay questions, with some choice; the questions will be designed to cover issues and readings discussed in lectures and seminars and will emphasize integration of ideas across the module. There will be a strict page limit but open access to papers and notes.

Skills

Transferable skills developed in this module

All modules provide an opportunity to work on general oral/written communication skills (in class and in assessments) and general self management (organising your studies), alongside the specific skills in language or linguistics that the module teaches.

In addition, this module provides ample scope for the development of skills in creativity and innovation, in the open-topic data-based essay that you will write over the spring break. You will each choose a bilingual child’s dataset and analyse it from a perspective of your own choice. The opportunity to set your own question and find a way to answer it draws on the kind of creativity that will stand you in very good stead in the employment marketplace.

Follow this link to hear how past students use transferable skills from their degree in their current jobs.