Neurolinguistics Syllabus

 

"If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand easily,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it."
                                                               Anonymous    

Dr. Bonnie Duncan

Offices:  164 & 166 Hash (try both)
Phone:  717 872-3080
Email:  bduncan@millersville.edu
Web:  http://muweb.millersville.edu/~bduncan/

Textbooks:

Required:

  • John Field Psycholinguistics: A resource book for students, Routledge Press, 2004, ISBN: 0415276004
  • Colin M. Brown, Peter Hagoort (Editors), The Neurocognition of Language Oxford University Press; June 1, 2001, ISBN: 0198507933.
  • Phillip Lieberman, Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain The Subcortical Bases of Speech, Syntax, and Thought. Harvard University Press, May, 2002, ISBN 0-674-00793-

Optional:

Obler and Gjerlow. Language and the Brain. Cambridge,1999, 2004. ISBN 0521466415

Two websites

Blackboard at  http://muweb.millersville.edu/~wms/bb/ü   
Our  Neurolinguistics site at http://muweb.millersville.edu/~bduncan/465/·       

login: open
password: sesame

Grading Plan·

Project 1 20 %
Project 220 %
Project 3 30 %
Midterm Essay 10 %
Final Exam Essay20 %

Projects:

Project 1: Read one study basic to understanding an argument in one of our texts (see list of possible studies).

  1. Prepare a web site explaining the article. The web site should include
    • A glossary of terms needed to truly understand the article.
    • Investigate the article's
      • researcher,
      • research question, problem, or thesis,
      • methodology,
      • findings, and
      • potential (why it came to be so important and widely cited).
  2. Give a 10 minute presentation explaining your findings and what the web site will do to further understanding of the issue(s).
  3. Improve and mount: Integrate suggestions to improve or correct the site and work with me to integrate it into the larger Neurolinguistics site.
  4. Integrate your glossary items into the overall site Glossary.
  5. Example:

 

Fall 2005 Schedule

Week 1

August 30

Course Introduction

Lecture: The Neurocognition of Language:  Thought, Structure, Function, Language

September 1

Prepare: 

  1. Read Textbook: Field, Psycholinguistics:  A resource book for students  Section A, pp. 2 - 29; The Goals of psycholinguists (Miller) pp.140-144.
    Note:  With Field, always do the activities as you go along.  Bring up the ones you have trouble with as “New Business” the next class period.
  2. Discover Online: (make sure you can find and enter these)
    1. Blackboard for this course (may not be not available until Wednesday)
      Find:  Course Documents
      Peruse contents of folder:  Where to Begin Thinking About Language? Thought, Structure, Function, Integration
    2. Our course website: available anytime at http://muweb.millersville.edu/~bduncan/465/index.html
      Logon:  open   
      Password:        sesame (must be lowercase)
      • Locate
        • Syllabus online
        • Glossary
        • Language Functions

Discussion/Lecture: Field

Week 2

September 6

Prepare: 

  1. Read Textbook: Field, Psycholinguistics:  A resource book for students  Section A, pp. 30- 46

    September 8

    Preparation:

      1. Textbook: The Neurocognition of Language, Jackendorff, "The Representations Structures of the Language Faculty," pp. 37-70.
      2. Web: (make sure you understand these terms)
    • Competencies:
      • Make sure you can get online, bookmark the sites, ensure that all your passwords work, and you can navigate the materials comfortably.
      • Understand and be able to define the
        • most basic terminology: see above
        • area of investigation: neurolinguistics, neurocognition, psycholinguistics,

    Week 3

    September 13

     

    September 15

     
    Week 4

    September 20

     

    September 22

    Week 5

    September 27

    September 29

    Week 6

    October 4

    October 6

    Week 7

    October 11 PAPER 1 DUE

    October 13
    Week 8

    FALL BREAK

     

    October 20

     
    Week 9

    October 25

     

    October 27

     
    Week 10

    November 1

     

    November 3

     
    Week 11

    November 8

     

    November 10

    PAPER 2 DUE
    Week 12: THANKSGIVING BREAK
    Week 13

    November 30

     

    December 1

     
    Week 14

    December 6

     

    December 8

     
    Week 15 FINALS