Ling / Psych 371

Language and the Mind

Spring 2005

 

MW 11:30 - 1:18 pm / Mendenhall 131 / 11844-4(Ling), 16855-0(Psych)

 

INSTRUCTOR: Soyoung Kang                                 Department of Linguistics

Phone: 688-3108                                                                   222 Oxley Hall

E-mail: skang@ling.ohio-state.edu                                   Phone: 292-4052

Office: 204 Oxley                                                 

Office Hours: MW 10:30 – 11:20 am or by appointment

 

COURSE WEBSITE

http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~skang/371.htm

You can access class notes and homework assignments through this website.

You are responsible for checking this site often in order to insure that you obtain handouts for each chapter and that you don’t miss any announcements.  Don’t forget to print class notes out for each new topic before coming to class.

 

TEXTBOOK:  The Psychology of Language, 4th edition by David W. Carroll

 

READINGS

Except for the first class, readings should be completed in advance.  Some of the materials will not be covered in class.  However, in-class discussions will assume that you have read these.  You should bring the textbook to class everyday as a handy reference.

 

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Please consider attendance a prerequisite for passing this class.  The readings provide a base upon which the class discussions build but participation in in-class activities is also very important for understanding the material.  If you must be absent from class, you are responsible for getting the notes from someone who did attend.  It is not necessary for you to call the department or me if you will be absent.

 

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION

You must also satisfy a research participation requirement by either participating as a participant in a psycholinguistics experiment or attending a talk on psycholinguistics research.  Opportunities for satisfying this requirement will arise throughout the quarter, but you must complete this requirement between March 29, 2005 and June 3, 2005.  For the lists of experiments and talks, click here.  For the details, see the separate packet.

 

HOMEWORK AND EXAMS

There are 4 homework assignments.  Completed homework assignments should be typed and stapled.  Also there is one midterm exam and one comprehensive final exam. You will not be given chances of taking make up exams unless you bring me an official original documentation for medical excuses.  

 

IN-CLASS ACTIVITY

There will be 6 in-class activities, in which you will be asked to do various things about class ideas.  These activities can be completed only in class. 

 

GROUP PRESENTATION

As a group, you are required to submit a summary of your selected article and present it on the day specified on the syllabus.  Although presenting in a group, you will be evaluated individually so everyone in each group has to be assigned their own part.

 

GRADING

Your final grade for this course will be based on the total number of points you accumulate during the quarter.  There will be no curving.  You will be evaluated according to the following criteria.

 

Research participation        20

Homework                             60

In-Class Activity                  48

Group Presentation              22

Midterm Exam                       100

Final                                      150

Total                                       400

 

Grading scale

 

A             376 - 400                 C             245 - 270

A-           350 - 375                 C-            219 - 244

B+           324 - 349                 D+           193 - 218

B             298 - 323                 D             167 - 192

B-            272 - 297                 E              0 -166

C+           246 - 271

 

 

SCHEDULE

The following schedule is tentative and subject to change.

 

Week  Day      Date    Topic                                                               Reading           Due

1              M            3/28         Introduction                                                                        Ch 1

                W            3/30         Speech Perception                                                               Ch4(65-87)

2              M            4/04         Speech Perception                                                               Ch4(65-87)                            

                W            4/06         Words and meaning                                                            Ch 5                       

3              M            4/11         Words and meaning: Presentation 1                                 Ch 5                        HW#1   

W            4/13         Sentence Processing                                                          Ch6(126-135)                        

4              M            4/18         Sentence Processing: Presentation 2                                                Ch6(126-135)         HW#2

                W            4/20         Sentence Processing: Presentation 3                                                others                    

5              M            4/25         Midterm Exam

W            4/27         Speech Production                                                              Ch 8

6              M            5/02         Speech Production: Presentation 4                                   Ch 8                        HW#3   

                W            5/04         First Language Acquisition                                               Ch 12                                     

7              M            5/09         First Language Acquisition: Presentation 5                    Ch 10

                W            5/11         Second Language Acquisition                                          Ch11(298-308)                      

8              M            5/16         Second Language Acquisition: Presentation 6               Ch11(298-308)       HW#4   

                W            5/18         Biological Foundations                                                       Ch13(339-361)                      

9              M            5/23         Biological Foundations: Presentation 7                      Ch13(339-361)

W            5/25         Language and thought: Presentation 8                            Ch14(376-391)

10            M            5/30         Memorial Day – No class

                W            6/01         Course Review

11           W            6/08        Final Exam: 11:30 – 1:18pm