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 Llinās 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 the subjects English Syntax and Avanced 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).
Objectives and Contextualisation
The aim of this course is to study the properties 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 discussion on specific topics and practical exercises.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures with TLK support | 50 | 2 | 2, 16, 12, 7, 8, 6, 9, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Group discussion on specific topics and practical exercises | 25 | 1 | 1, 4, 2, 16, 15, 7, 8, 6, 13 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading of articles and textbooks | 50 | 2 | 15, 9, 10, 11, 14 |
Assessment
This subject is assessed by means of a final exam (50%), a set of quizzes (30%) practical exercises and work on readings (20%).
The dates of each of the assessment items will be provided at the beginning of the course and published in Moodle. Any changes will also be announced in Moodle.
An exercise or questionnaire not handed in and a quiz or an exam not done will count as a zero, unless it is duly justified.
Students will obtain a Not assessed course mark unless they have submitted more than 35% of the assessment items.
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
Quizzes, exercises and work on readings.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 50% | 5 | 0.2 | 16, 12, 7, 8, 6, 10, 5 |
| Practical exercises and work on readings | 20% | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 3, 4, 2, 16, 15, 7, 8, 6, 13, 9, 10, 11, 14, 5 |
| Topic quizzes | 30% | 10 | 0.4 | 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.