Psyholinguistics

This course is part of the programme
Master in SL studies - Linguistics

Objectives and competences

• Overall review of the field of psycholinguistics
• Knowledge of the main issues in psycholinguistics and its methodology
• Knowledge of the main developments in psycholinguistics
• Critical thinking and development of individual topics
• Sound knowledge of primary texts and readings

Prerequisites

In order to successfully participate in in-class discussions and to follow the lectures, the student should take the introductory linguistic courses. This course is related to other courses in the Language curriculum.

Content

Psycholinguistics studies the psychological (and neurological) aspects of human language. The students will study the main psychological and neurological models of language constructed on the basis of the study of language evolution, language acquisition, language processing and language faculty of various speakers with various neurological malfunctions (aphasia etc.). We will also talk about the way various computational models of neural networks and brain imaging influences the way we perceive cognitive processes like concept creation, language, memory, and thought.

Intended learning outcomes

The knowledge of current state of research in psycholinguistics, its aims, scope, methods, main questions, main developments, and the ability to determine directions for individual research.

Readings

  • Bock, K., & Levelt, W. (1994). “Language Production: Grammatical Encoding”. In: M. A. Gernsbacher (Ed.), Handbook of Psycholinguistics. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Inc.
  • Caramazza, A., & Zurif, E. (1976). “Dissociation of Algorithmic and Heuristic Processes in Language Comprehension: Evidence from Aphasia”. Brain and Language, 3, pp. 572-582.
  • Carroll, D.W. (1994). Psychology of Language (4th edition) Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.
  • Chomsky, Noam (1959). “A Review of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior” in Language, 35, No. 1, 26-58.
  • Field, J. (2004). Psycholinguistics: The Key Concepts. New York: Routledge.
  • Gibson, E., & Pearlmutter, N. (2000). “Distinguishing Serial and Parallel Parsing”. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. Vol. 29(2), pp. 231-240. Kluwer Academic, US.
  • Grodzinsky, Y. (2000). “The Neurology of Syntax: Language Use Without Broca's Area”. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23.1, pp. 1-71.
  • Rosch, E. (2002). “Principles of Categorization”. In Levitin, D. J. (Ed), Foundations of Cognitive Psychology: Core Readings, pp. 251-270. Cambridge,
  • Warrington, E.K. & Shallice, T. (1984). “Category-Specific Semantic Impairment”. Brain, 107, pp. 829-853. MA, US: MIT Press.

Assessment

Regular class attendance and active participation during lectures and tutorials; homework assignments and a final exam.

Lecturer's references

STEPANOV, Arthur, STATEVA, Penka. When QR disobeys superiority. Linguist. inq., 2009, vol. 40, no. 1, str. 176-185.
STEPANOV, Arthur, TSAI, Wei-Tien Dylan. Cartography and licensing of wh-adjuncts : a cross-linguistic perspective. Nat. lang. linguist. theory, avg. 2008, vol. 26, no. 3, str. 589-638.
STEPANOV, Arthur. The end of CED? : minimalism and extraction domains. Syntax (Oxford), apr. 2007, vol. 10, no. 1, str. 80-126.
STEPANOV, Arthur. Morphological case and the inverse case filter. Linguist. Ber., 2007, hft. 211, str. 255-276.
STEPANOV, Arthur. On the absence of long-distance A-movement in Russian. J. Slav. linguist., 2007, vol. 15, no. 1, str. 81-108.
STEPANOV, Arthur. Single cycle languages : implications for cyclicity, recursion and acquisition. Linguistic variation yearbook, 2006, vol. 6, str. 25-71.