Course Title: Psychology of Language
Course Code: PSY 301
Instructor: Samuel E. Sacapano Jr.
Semester: 1st Semester 2024
Class Location: Westprime Horizon Institute Inc.
Class Time: Saturday-10:00-1:00 p.m.
Course Description:
This course explores the psychological processes underlying the acquisition, production,
comprehension, and use of language. It will cover the development of language in children, the
cognitive processes involved in understanding and producing speech, the representation of
language in the brain, and the relationship between language and thought. The course will also
examine the impact of bilingualism, language disorders, and cultural influences on language use.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Understand the basic processes involved in language acquisition and development.
2. Describe the cognitive mechanisms involved in language comprehension and production.
3. Analyze the neurological basis of language.
4. Evaluate the relationship between language and thought.
5. Critically assess the impact of bilingualism and language disorders.
6. Discuss the influence of culture on language use.
Course Structure:
The course will be a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, and practical exercises.
Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and complete all assigned
readings and assignments.
Required Textbook:
"The Psychology of Language: From Data to Theory" by Trevor A. Harley. (Latest
Edition)
Supplementary Readings:
"Language Acquisition: The Growth of Grammar" by Maria Teresa Guasti.
"Psycholinguistics: Introduction and Applications" by Lise Menn.
Selected journal articles and book chapters (to be provided).
Course Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction to the Psychology of Language
Overview of key concepts and theories
Historical perspectives on language and psychology
Week 2: Language Acquisition
Theories of language development (nativist, learning, interactionist)
Stages of language acquisition in children
Week 3: Speech Perception and Production
Mechanisms of speech perception
Cognitive processes in speech production
Week 4: Lexical Access and Sentence Processing
Word recognition and lexical access
Sentence parsing and processing
Week 5: The Role of Memory in Language
Working memory and language comprehension
Long-term memory and language learning
Week 6: Neurological Basis of Language
Brain structures involved in language
Neuroimaging studies on language processing
Week 7: Language and Thought
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
The relationship between language and cognitive processes
Week 8: Bilingualism
Cognitive benefits and challenges of bilingualism
Language switching and code-mixing
Week 9: Language Disorders
Aphasia, dyslexia, and other language disorders
Assessment and treatment of language disorders
Week 10: Language in Social Context
Pragmatics and language use in social interactions
Cultural influences on language
Week 11: Language Evolution and Animal Communication
Theories of language evolution
Comparison with animal communication systems
Week 12: Language and Technology
Computational models of language processing
Language in artificial intelligence
Week 13: Research Methods in Psycholinguistics
Experimental design in language research
Data collection and analysis techniques
Week 14: Student Presentations
Presentation of research topics related to the psychology of language
Week 15: Course Review and Final Exam Preparation
Review of key topics
Q&A session
Assignments and Evaluation:
Class Participation: 10%
Weekly Quizzes: 20%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Research Paper: 25%
Final Exam: 25%
Important Dates:
Midterm Exam: Week 8
Research Paper Due: Week 12
Final Exam: Week 15
Office Hours:
[Instructor Name]
[Days & Time]
[Office Location or Virtual Meeting Details]
This syllabus provides a structured approach to studying the Psychology of Language, balancing
theoretical knowledge with practical applications and research.
The psychology of language, also known as psycholinguistics, is a field that explores how
humans acquire, comprehend, produce, and use language. It sits at the intersection of
psychology, linguistics, cognitive science, and neuroscience, offering insights into the cognitive
processes and neural mechanisms underlying language.
Key Concepts in the Psychology of Language
1. Language Acquisition:
o Nativism vs. Empiricism:
Nativism posits that language ability is innate, largely encoded in our
genetic makeup. This view, famously supported by Noam Chomsky,
suggests that children are born with a "Universal Grammar," a set of
linguistic principles common to all human languages.
Empiricism, on the other hand, argues that language is learned through
experience and interaction with the environment. This view emphasizes
the role of social interaction and reinforcement in language learning.
o Critical Period Hypothesis:
The idea that there is a specific window in early human development
during which language acquisition occurs most efficiently. After this
period, language learning becomes significantly more difficult.
2. Speech Perception and Production:
o Speech Perception:
The process by which the brain interprets and understands spoken
language. This involves recognizing phonemes (the smallest units of
sound) and parsing them into meaningful units, such as words and
sentences.
o Speech Production:
The process of constructing and articulating speech. This involves
selecting appropriate words (lexical access), organizing them
grammatically (syntactic processing), and coordinating the physical act of
speaking (articulation).
3. Lexical Access and Sentence Processing:
o Lexical Access:
The retrieval of word meanings from memory during language
comprehension and production. This process is highly efficient, allowing
people to quickly find the right word from a vast mental lexicon.
o Sentence Processing:
How the brain constructs and interprets sentences. This includes
understanding word order (syntax), determining the relationships between
words (semantics), and integrating information to make sense of complex
sentences.
4. The Role of Memory in Language:
o Working Memory:
A cognitive system that holds and manipulates information temporarily,
crucial for understanding and producing language. For example, when we
listen to a sentence, working memory helps us retain the beginning of the
sentence long enough to understand the end.
o Long-term Memory:
Stores vocabulary, grammatical rules, and knowledge about language that
we draw upon when speaking, listening, reading, or writing.
5. Neurological Basis of Language:
o Broca’s Area:
Located in the frontal lobe, this region is primarily associated with speech
production and articulation. Damage to Broca's area can result in Broca's
aphasia, characterized by slow, laborious speech and difficulty in
constructing sentences, though comprehension often remains intact.
o Wernicke’s Area:
Situated in the temporal lobe, this area is linked to language
comprehension. Damage here can lead to Wernicke's aphasia, where
speech remains fluent but nonsensical, and understanding spoken language
is impaired.
o The Language Network:
Modern research shows that language processing involves a network of
brain regions, including the Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, but also other
regions in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, and connections
between them.
6. Language and Thought:
o The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Linguistic Relativity):
Proposes that the structure of a language influences its speakers'
worldviews and cognition. The strong version (linguistic determinism)
suggests that language determines thought, while the weaker version
posits that language influences thought processes and perception.
o Language as a Cognitive Tool:
Language is not only a means of communication but also a tool for
thinking. For example, internal speech or "thinking in words" helps
organize thoughts and solve problems.
7. Bilingualism and Multilingualism:
oCognitive Effects:
Bilingualism has been associated with cognitive benefits, such as
enhanced executive function, better problem-solving skills, and delayed
onset of dementia. However, it also involves complexities, such as
managing two linguistic systems simultaneously.
o Language Switching and Code-Mixing:
Bilinguals often switch between languages (code-switching) depending on
context, and may mix elements from both languages within a conversation
(code-mixing).
8. Language Disorders:
o Aphasia:
A family of language disorders resulting from brain damage. Different
types of aphasia affect various aspects of language, from speech
production (Broca's aphasia) to comprehension (Wernicke's aphasia) to
more global language impairment.
o Dyslexia:
A reading disorder characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent
word recognition and decoding, often due to issues with phonological
processing.
o Developmental Language Disorder (DLD):
A condition in which children experience significant problems with
language development that are not attributable to other developmental
issues.
Key Theories in the Psychology of Language
1. Chomsky’s Universal Grammar:
o suggests that the ability to learn a language is innate, with all humans possessing a
"universal grammar" underlying the structure of all languages. This theory argues
that despite the diversity of languages, common structural principles are inherent
to all human languages.
2. Connectionist Models:
o These models propose that language processing occurs through networks of
interconnected units (similar to neurons) that learn to recognize patterns in
language input through experience. Unlike Chomsky’s theory, connectionism
emphasizes learning from the environment rather than innate structures.
3. Social Interactionist Theory:
o Proposes that language development is driven by social interactions with more
knowledgeable others (e.g., parents, and teachers). Language is learned through
communication and is shaped by the social context.
4. Modular Theory of Language Processing:
o This theory posits that different aspects of language processing (e.g., phonology,
syntax, semantics) are handled by separate, specialized modules in the brain. Each
module operates independently but communicates with others to produce coherent
language.
5. The Whorfian Hypothesis (Linguistic Relativity):
oAs mentioned earlier, this hypothesis explores how the language one speaks
influences cognitive processes and perception of the world. It suggests that
speakers of different languages may perceive and think about the world
differently.
6. Emergentism:
o A theory that suggests language ability arises from the interaction of general
cognitive processes, social interaction, and environmental input. Language is not
seen as an innate module but as a skill developed through experience and brain
plasticity.
7. Dual-Route Models of Reading:
o This theory posits two pathways for reading: a direct (lexical) route for familiar
words, where the reader recognizes words by sight, and an indirect (phonological)
route for unfamiliar words, where the reader decodes words by sounding them
out.
Summary
The psychology of language is a rich and multifaceted field that covers how we acquire, process,
and use language. The key concepts and theories provide a framework for understanding the
cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language. Whether exploring the intricacies of
language acquisition, the complex processes of speech perception and production, or the deep
connections between language and thought, this field offers profound insights into one of the
most uniquely human capabilities.
