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Advanced Topics in Psycholinguistics: Language Processing - LAN00067H

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  • Department: Language and Linguistic Science
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Nino Grillo
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

This module is designed to deepen your understanding of major trends in psycholinguistics and language processing. We focus primarily on current models of processing, emphasizing the interaction of different levels of representation, memory and the role of prediction.

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations

  • None

Additional information

With respect to pre-requisites the following modules are equivalent:

Second year modules

  • Intermediate Syntax, Aspects of a Theory of Syntax

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The primary goal of this module is to deepen your understanding of major trends in sentence processing and psycholinguistics. We will focus on critically discussing primary literature in language processing.

Discussion will primarily center around a critical evaluation of the readings, and how they help us evaluate our models of language processing. Secondarily, we aim to enhance your understanding of the technical sides of psycholinguistic papers, including the critical components of experimental methods and statistical analysis.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

  • communicate efficiently design and results in psycholinguistic research
  • analyze the predictions of alternative psycholinguistics approaches for different experimental methods and designs
  • write cogent analytic arguments on psycholinguistic theory and current research programs

Module content

The module will cover a selection of topics in language processing, including the following areas: (this list is not exhaustive and not all areas will be covered each time the module is offered):
• Current models of dependency formation
• Prosodic Processing
• Processing thematic dependencies
• Processing morphosyntactic dependencies
• Processing referential dependencies
• Processing A-bar dependencies

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
5000 Word Essay		 N/A 85
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation		 N/A 15

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
5000 Word Essay		 N/A 85
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation		 N/A 15

Module feedback

• Weekly group level feedback on formative exercises will be provided at the seminar
• Feedback on in class presentation will be provided in class
• Feedback for final essay will be provided 25 working days after the deadline

Indicative reading

tbc


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.