3 credits
Fall 2025 Lecture Upper Division
This course offers an introduction to main linguistic, psycholinguistic and sociocultural approaches to language acquisition theory and research. Through extensive reading, students will develop a deep understanding of central issues affecting language acquisition in typically developing children, including age effects, and input and output conditions in the acquisition of syntax, semantics, phonology, lexicon and morphology. Emphasis will be made on experimental approaches and research methods in the acquisition of syntax in L1 and child bilingual development.
Learning Outcomes1Understand how languages are acquired and developmental stages of main linguistic components.
2Understand major concepts and issues relative to child language development.
3Understand major concepts and issues relative to bilingual first-language acquisition.
4Understand knowledge of main sociocultural constructs related to language development.
5Understand main issues relative to methodological issues in language acquisition.
6Understand main linguistics and psycholinguistic factors related to language acquisition including age, cognitive development, and linguistics input.
Prerequisites
made by Purdue students.