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PSK 409 - Psycholinguistics

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences · Psychology · Undergraduate

ECTS: 5 T+P+L: 3+0+0 Departmental Elective
Coordinator: Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Ayşe ALTUNKAYA ERDOĞMUŞ

Course Objective

This course examines the psychological dimensions of language and its relationship with mental processes. Topics include language acquisition, language processing, meaning construction, the relationship between language and thought, and language disorders. Students will explore how language is processed in the brain, how it interacts with cognitive processes, and how it is shaped by social and cultural factors.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the psychological aspects of language and language use. Students are expected to develop an understanding of how language functions in the human mind and to examine its cognitive, social, and cultural dimensions. They will also learn to apply this knowledge to the understanding of language disorders and the development of appropriate intervention strategies.

Course Content

This course examines the psychological foundations of language and the cognitive mechanisms underlying linguistic processes in the human mind. It covers language acquisition, spoken and written language processing, word recognition, meaning construction, the relationship between language and thought, and language disorders. The course also addresses the neurocognitive foundations of language, its interaction with cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and thinking, and the social and cultural dimensions of language use within the framework of contemporary theoretical approaches and empirical research findings.

Required Resources

The Psychology of Language: From Data to Theory (4th Edition) by Trevor A. Harley, Psychology Press, 2014

Recommended Resources

Introduction to Psycholinguistics: Understanding Language Science, Second Edition,

by Matthew J. Traxler (Author),2023

Explanations

The midterm exam is 40% and the final exam is 60% effective in determining the final exam grade.

Rules

There is a 70% attendance requirement.

Core Area Distribution

(31) Social and Behavioural Science%100

Teaching Methods

ExpressionQuestion-AnswerDiscussionExercise and PracticePresentationGroup StudySimulationBrain StormingSelf study

Assessment & Evaluation

Testing (Essay / Tests: True-Falls, multiple-choice, short answer, matching)

ECTS / Workload

ActivityQuantityDuration (h)Total Workload
Course Duration (Including Exam Week)16348
Out of Class Study Period25375
Midterm111
Quiz000
Assignment000
Practice000
Final111

Course Schedule

WeekSubjectPreparation
1Introduction to Psycholinguistics and Basic ConceptsThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory-4th edition, 2014 Section A-1
2The relationship between linguistics and psychology Describing languageThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section A-2
3The foundations of languageThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-3
4Language developmentThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-4
5Bilingualism and second language acquisitionThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-5
6Recognizing visual wordsThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-6
7ReadingThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-7
8MIDTERM EXAMMIDTERM EXAM
9Understanding speechThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-8
10Understanding the structure of sentencesThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-9
11Word meaningThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-10
12ComprehensionThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-11
13Language productionThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-12
14The structure of the language systemThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-13
15New directionsThe Psychology of Language From Data to Theory Section B-14
16FINAL EXAMFINAL EXAM