LNG 508 Socio-Psycholinguistics

Course Description:

This course covers the major concepts and theories in the study of linguistics along two major disciplines -
sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. The course includes approaches used to analyze language in use in
various contexts and by speech communities and demonstrates the current relevance of these to language
teaching. It will likewise highlight linguistic issues and problems from the perspective of first language
acquisition and second language learning. From the principles, theories and issues, the students in this course
will evolve a framework for an exploratory paper or case presentation.

Course Objectives:

At the end of the course, the students must have:

1. Explained theories about the human brain as the seat of language cognition
2. Trace the development of the schools of thought in language acquisition and their influence on
language learning and teaching
3. Explained language learning behaviors in the light of theories learned
4. Discussed theories on language as used in social and wider contexts
5. Identified issues on bilingualism and multilingualism in multicultural contexts
6. Presented an exploratory paper or case analysis from a sociolinguistic/psycholinguistic perspective

Course Topics:

A. Psycholinguistics
1. Language and the Mind ; Universal Grammar (UG) Theory (Noam Chomsky)
2. Language Acquisition and Learning Theories
a. First Language Acquisition – Behaviorism, Innatism/Nativism, Interactionism
b. Second Language Acquisition – Behaviorism, Cognitivism; Creative Construction Theory
(Stephen Krashen)
c. Issues on L1 and L2 Learning – age/Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), interlanguage, social
processes (assimilation and accommodation)
3. Language Learning Styles
4. Cognitive Models – Attention-Processing, Implicit-Explicit Processing, Noticing Hypothesis
(Richard Schmidt)
B. Sociolinguistics
1. Ethnography of Communication (Dell Hymes)
2. Language Variation and Change
3. Language and Gender
4. Language and Culture
5. Language and the Internet
6. Language and Classroom Interaction (Sociolinguistics in Classroom Settings)
7. Glocalization and World Englishes

Course Requirements: Participation in the Live Class; Reaction to 2 Journal Articles; Exploratory Paper/ Case
Analysis