Admission Requirements
Linguistics 5: Syntax or a similar course.
Description
First language acquisition proceeds in a fixed fashion: from babbling to phonological systems; from the one-word stage to the sentence stage. Gradually, first language learners acquire the separate components of their grammar. Lexical knowledge, for instance, proceeds independently from syntactic knowledge. Generative theory posits modules for each subcomponent of language. These modules, then, are acquired separately. But they can also be lost separately. In the second half of the course we will look at dysfunctional language, and see that this, too, can be described in the modular fashion.
Course Objectives
Students comprehend and are able to evaluate the generative concept of the Language Acquisition Device and the generative model of grammar.
Timetable
The timetable will be available from July 1 onwards on the Department website.
Mode of Instruction
Two-hour seminar per week.
Assessment
Oral presentation (30%)
Written paper (70%)
An additional written paper may be submitted for a 5 ECTS extension.
Blackboard
This course is supported by Blackboard.
Reading list
To be announced.
Registration
Students can register through uSis.
Contact information
English Department, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 103c. Phone: 071 527 2144, or mail: english@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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