Language & Development 1 - PSY00018C
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2026-27 |
Module aims
Two faculties that set us apart from other animals are our extraordinary capacity to learn and to communicate. This module focuses on these faculties through the psychological study of infant and child development, and the acquisition of language skills from infancy to adulthood. The module begins with a broad introduction to language and development, leading to a more detailed look at infancy (including cognitive, linguistic, and motoric abilities) and early language acquisition. The module ends with a consideration of how, as adults, we manage to recognise the sounds we hear as comprising individual words and meaningful sentences.
Module learning outcomes
- To be able to differentiate the various mechanisms underlying typical and atypical language acquisition in humans
- To describe and evaluate the methods used in developmental psychology and the theories of Bowlby, Piaget and Vygotsky
- To explain the main approaches to the study of language and evaluate their implications for language acquisition, animal or human communication and the relationship between language and cognition
- To appraise and understand the profound cognitive and social changes that occur in early human development between conception and the age of two
- To evaluate different methodologies and techniques used to explore infant cognition and behaviour
Module content
This module focuses on two key areas of psychological research: Developmental Psychology and the Psychology of Language. Each week covers one lecture on each of these areas. The first 4 weeks of the semester begin with a broad introduction to the psychology of language and developmental psychology. The language section discusses what human languages are, what characterises them compared to animal communication, how they are acquired, and what role they play in human cognition and culture. The developmental psychology sessions focus on developmental research methods and on e key concepts of developmental psychology, specifically the ideas of :: John Bowlby, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
In the second part of the semester, the sessions will explore in more detail main developmental psychology topics and language learning. The developmental sessions cover pre- and postnatal physical development in humans throughout infancy, including brain development, development of infant expression and the understanding of emotions. The language sessions cover how language abilities develop over childhood. Topics covered include what babies can learn about sound, speech and language while still in the womb, how children acquire the meaning of words and syntax, and communication disorders in childhood.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 50.0 |
| Essay/coursework | 50.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 50.0 |
| Essay/coursework | 50.0 |
Module feedback
The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision.
Indicative reading
Harley, T. A. (2008). The Psychology of Language: From data to theory (3rd. ed.) Hove: Psychology Press.
Slater S. & Bremner, J. G. (2011). An Introduction to Developmental Psychology, 2nd edition.