English Language Acquisition
Code: 100199 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500245 English Studies | OT | 3 | 0 |
| 2500245 English Studies | OT | 4 | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Mireia Llinàs Grau
- Email:
- Mireia.Llinas@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
The content of this subject is related to the contents of English Syntax and Advanced English Syntax, which means that having completed them will be helpful to follow the course.
Students are expected to have a level of English equivalent to a C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), meaning they should be able to understand complex texts and recognize implicit meaning. They are also expected to be able to express themselves fluently and to use English adequately in diverse social, academic and professional situations.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The aim of this course is to examine the characteristics of the grammars of the learners of English as a first, second and third language. It also incorporates a brief review of the methods for collecting language acquisition data.
Competences
- English Studies
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
- Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
- Generate innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activities.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Working in an autonomous and responsible way in a professional or research environment in English or other languages, in order to accomplish the previously set objectives.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing, interpreting and presenting data and results of the student's own or other researches about synchronic English linguistics in academic written or oral English.
- Apply the acquired knowledge to the generation of innovative and competitive research on a basic level.
- Applying the acquired methodologies of work planning to work in an environment in the English language.
- Applying the acquired scientific and work planning methodologies to the research in English.
- Appropriately summarising the content of scientific sources related to synchronic English linguistics.
- Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
- Demonstrate a master of the specific methods of individual academic work that prepare the student for a postgraduate specialised education in the same or a different field of study.
- Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
- Identifying and understanding the individual factors in the acquisition of first and second languages.
- Identifying and understanding the theories about acquisition of first and second languages.
- Localising scientific sources in the library or Internet related to synchronic English linguistics.
- Mastering the advanced knowledge and scientific methodologies related to linguistics, literature, history and culture that prepare the student for a postgraduate specialised education in the same or a different field of study.
- Produce new professional initiatives.
- Relating the individual factors with the linguistic and psychological theories of acquisition of first and second languages.
- Students must be capable of comprehending advanced academic or professional texts in their own language or the another acquired in the degree.
- Students must be capable of precisely arguing ideas and opinions in their own language or another acquired in the degree.
Content
1. Linguistic theory and language variation
2. Language acquisition data collection
3. The acquisition of English as a first language
4. The acquisition of English as a second language
5. The acquisition of English as a third language
Methodology
The methodology of this subject is based on lectures, group debates, class presentations, exercises and individual tutorials.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures and practical classes | 50 | 2 | 2, 16, 12, 7, 8, 6, 9, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| In-class group discussion and comprehension of texts and questions | 25 | 1 | 1, 4, 2, 16, 15, 7, 8, 6, 13 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Study and revision of course content | 50 | 2 | 15, 9, 10, 11, 14 |
Assessment
Assessment
- This subject follows continuous assessment.
- Having completed one of the exams excludes the possibility of having a No avaluable in your student's record.
- An assignment not handed in or an exam not done will count as a zero, unless it is duly justified.
Procedure for reviewing grades awarded
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Reassesssment
Reassessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis exam, for which the following conditions are applicable:
- Only students who have a 3,5 (o higher) in final average mark will be allowed to sit the reassessment exam.
- The reassessment exam will cover all the course contents.
- The maximum reassessment mark is a 5.
Evaluation activities excluded from reassessment
Class participation and presentations, homework
VERY IMPORTANT: Partial or total plagiarising will immediately result in a FAIL (0) for the plagiarised exercise (first-year subjects) or the WHOLE SUBJECT (second-, third- and fourth-year subjects). PLAGIARISING consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources -whether this is part of a sentence or a whole text- with the intention of passing it off as the student's own production. It includes cutting and pasting from internet sources, presented unmodified in the student's own text. Plagiarising is a SERIOUS OFFENCE. Students must respect authors' intellectual property, always identifying the sources they may use; they must also be responsible for the originality and authenticity of their own texts.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class participation and homework | 5% | 7 | 0.28 | 1, 3, 4, 2, 16, 8, 6, 13, 9, 10, 11, 14, 5 |
| Class presentations | 20% | 6 | 0.24 | 1, 16, 15, 7, 8, 6, 10, 11, 5 |
| Partial exam I | 35% | 6 | 0.24 | 16, 12, 7, 8, 6, 10, 5 |
| Partial exam II | 40% | 6 | 0.24 | 16, 12, 7, 8, 6, 10, 5 |
Bibliography
Archibald, John (ed) (2000) Second Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory, Oxford: Blackwell.
Cattel, Ray. (2000) Children’s Language: Consensus and Controversy, London: Cassell.
Crain, Stephen. & Diane Lillo-Martin (1999) An Introduction to Linguistic Theory and Language Acquistion, Oxford: Backwell.
Gass, S. & A. Mackey (2011) Data Elicitation for Second and Foreign Language Research, New York: Routledge.
Guasti, Maria Teresa (2002) Language Acquisition. The Growth of Grammar, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Hawkins, Roger (ed) (2001) Second Language Syntax. A Generative Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell.
Herschensohn, J. (2000) The Second Time Around: Minimalism and Second Language Acquisition, Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Mackey, A. & S.M. Gass (2005) Second Language Research. Methodology and Design, London: LAwrence Erlbaum Associates.
Slabakova, Roumiana (2016) Second Language Acquisition, Oxford: O.U.P.
Stillwell Peccei, Jean (2006) Child Language. A Resource Book for Students, London, Routledge.
van Patten, B. & A.G. Benati (2010) Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition, London: Continuum.
White, Lidia (2003) Second language acquisition and Universal Grammar. (2nd edition) Cambridge: CUP.