NORMAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT / LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

SPAU 3303-001 / COMD 6307-001

T 2:00- 4:45, GR 4.428
Spring, 2006

Course Instructor: Dr. Mandy Maguire

Email: mandy.maguire@utdallas.edu
Office : Green 4.820
Office phone: (214)905-3163
Office hours: Tuesdays 12:00-2:00

TA: Ariela Jokel

Email: ariela@utdallas.edu
Office: Green 4.802
Office phone: (972)883-2241
TA’s office hours: Mondays 12:30-2:30

Course Overview: This course provides an overview of language development, focusing

on theories, experimental findings and milestones in typically developing children.
Although, not the primary focus, applied issues will be covered as well. This course is
designed for upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students in areas of
psychology, education and communication disorders. The course will cover theories of
language acquisition and development, the biological basis of acquisition and
development and the basic stages of typically and atypically developing populations with
regard to language. Assigned readings come from the primary source texts listed below.
Students are encouraged to be active participants in class discussions. PLEASE DO
THE READINGS BEFORE COMING TO CLASS.

Text: Hoff, E. (2005). Language Development (3rd Edition), Wadsworth/Thomson.

Assignments: This course is listed both as an undergraduate and graduate course. The
requirements for graduate students include an additional paper to be handed in on the last
day of class. As a result, the distribution of grade worth differs based on your course
listing. Your grade will consist of the following assignments:
Assignment: Worth (undergraduate): Worth (graduate):
Exam 1 25% 20%
Exam 2 35% 20%
Exam 3 (cumulative final) 40% 30%
Final Paper Not Required 30%

Exams: We will have three exams in this class covering the reading and lecture
materials. The exam format will include multiple-choice questions, fill in the blank and
short answers.
MAKE UP EXAMS are only given in extreme cases with appropriate written
documentation and at least 12 hours notification. Chances are you will NOT be given a
make up exam, so do not in any situation plan on it. If you are given a chance to take a
make up exam it will be in a different format (most likely essay) and must be completed
within a week of the original test date.

Graduate student paper assignment (Only required for students taking this course
for graduate level credit): Language development covers a large range of topics and
may students, particular graduate students, may have their own interests. As a result, this
paper gives students the opportunity to research an area of particular interest in more
detail. These papers are meant to be literature reviews discussing any topic related to
language development. Examples of possible topics (but these are just examples,
students are encouraged to come up with their own topics):
• Statistical learning: A specific language skill or a general cognitive ability?
• Problems related to cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research.
• Theories of how language evolved
• Effects of early hearing loss on language development and effective interventions
• Cultural differences in sociolinguistics and what it means in a multicultural
classroom
• Language development in deaf populations and the cochlear implant culture clash
• No child left behind initiative in classroom reading

The papers are due the final day of class, but YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR PAPER
TOPIC TO ME BY March 14th. I will then set up individual meetings to discuss these
topics in the following week.
Final papers are due by the beginning of class on April 18th. They must be in APA
format, double-spaced, 12 point font 10-15 pages not including references. Late papers
will NOT be accepted. More details will follow.

Scholastic Dishonesty.
Scholastic dishonesty including cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or any
other action that is not an honest participation in the learning process. By enrolling in this
course, you agree to UTD’s guidelines at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-AvoidDishonesty.htlm

Disabilities.
UTD proudly supports a very diverse student body. Among our students are those with
learning, sensory, and physical disabilities that require special accommodations. If you
would like to self-disclose a disability in order to receive reasonable academic
accommodations and have not done so already, please contact Kerry Tate at 2098 to find
out more information. You must follow the official university procedure in order to
receive any special accommodations in this course.

E-mail communication.
Beginning August 1, 2004, all correspondence is sent ONLY to student’s U.T. Dallas
email address. UTD provides each student with a free email account that is to be used in
all communication with university personnel. This allows the university to maintain a
high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security
of the transmitted information. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas
provides a method for students to forward email from other accounts to their U.T. Dallas
address and have their U.T. Dallas mail sent on to other accounts. Students may go to the
following URL to establish or maintain their official U.T. Dallas computer account:
http://netid.utdallas.edu.

Course Outline:

Date Topic Readings

1/9 Introduction to Language Development
1/17 Theories and methods of language development Chap.1
1/24 Human brain and language Chap 2
1/31 What is phonology? Prelinguistic abilities Chap 3: pp. 90-120
2/7 Phonological development Chap 3: pp. 120-135
2/14 Course of lexical development Chapter 4
How are new words learned?
2/21 Exam 1
2/28 Early grammar development Chap 5: pp. 182-205
3/7 SPRING BREAK
3/14 Comprehension and theories of grammar development Chap 5: pp. 205-237
GRAD STUDENT PAPER TOPICS DUE
3/21 Communicative Competence Chap 6
3/28 Language in special populations Chap 7
4/4 Exam 2
4/11 Childhood bilingualism Chap 8
4/18 Language in the school years Chap 9
Gradate student papers due
4/25 Final Exam