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  2. Language Across the Lifespan [SPE1102]

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Psychology and Social Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Language Across the Lifespan

  • Unit Code

    SPE1102

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit introduces students to the nature of language and how it develops across the lifespan. Students will learn about the core components of phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics within the context of culture and everyday usage. Students will examine how and when children acquire these components and how they develop for social and academic purposes in monolingual and bilingual environments. Changes in language skills and processes associated with ageing will be explored.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse basic transcripts of typically developing children in terms of the above linguistic components.
  2. Differentiate between typically developing and atypically developing communication for children of a certain age and linguistic background.
  3. Discuss the way(s) in which these components interact with different everyday contexts.
  4. Explain the ramifications of a bilingual environment on language acquisition in childhood.
  5. Identify and explain changes in language form and function that can occur with ageing.
  6. Identify the key phenomena associated with phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.

Unit Content

  1. Overview of language: Structure and function.
  2. The relationship between language and culture.
  3. Prelinguistic development: Cognitive, biological and social bases of language development.
  4. Linguistic development in early childhood: Single word utterances, 2-3 word combinations, phonological and semantic acquisition, grammatical morphemes and developing sentence complexity.
  5. School age years: Developing conversational complexity, literacy.
  6. Later school years and adolescence.
  7. Language in adulthood; effects of ageing.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures and observations

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestMultiple-choice/short-answer quiz30%
ReportChild observation report30%
ExaminationLanguage development norms and processes40%

Text References

  • ^ Owens, R. E. Jr. (2012). Language development: An introduction (8th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
  • Berko-Gleason, J., & Bernstein-Ratner, N. (2009). The development of language: The international edition (7th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
  • Clark, J., Yallop, C., & Fletcher, J. (2007). An introduction to phonetics and phonology (3rd ed.). Chichester: Wiley/Blackwell.
  • Fogle, Paul T. (2013). Essentials of communication sciences and disorders. Clifton Park, NY; Delmar Cencage Learning.
  • Kempler, D. (2005). Neurocognitive disorders in aging. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Oller, J., Ollers, S., & Badon, L. (2006). Milestones: Normal speech and language development across the lifespan. San Diego: Plural Publishers.

Journal References

  • Language Acquisition. A Journal of Developmental Linguistics
  • Journal of Child Language
  • International Journal of Communication and Language Disorders
  • International Journal of Speech Language Pathology

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SPE1102|2|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Psychology and Social Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Language Across the Lifespan

  • Unit Code

    SPE1102

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit introduces students to the nature of language and how it develops across the lifespan. Students will learn about the core components of phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics within the context of culture and everyday usage. Students will examine how and when children acquire these components and how they develop for social and academic purposes in monolingual and bilingual environments. Changes in language skills and processes associated with ageing will be explored.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse basic transcripts of typically developing children in terms of the above linguistic components.
  2. Differentiate between typically developing and atypically developing communication for children of a certain age and linguistic background.
  3. Discuss the way(s) in which these components interact with different everyday contexts.
  4. Explain the ramifications of a bilingual environment on language acquisition in childhood.
  5. Identify and explain changes in language form and function that can occur with ageing.
  6. Identify the key phenomena associated with phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.

Unit Content

  1. Overview of language: Structure and function.
  2. The relationship between language and culture.
  3. Prelinguistic development: Cognitive, biological and social bases of language development.
  4. Linguistic development in early childhood: Single word utterances, 2-3 word combinations, phonological and semantic acquisition, grammatical morphemes and developing sentence complexity.
  5. School age years: Developing conversational complexity, literacy.
  6. Later school years and adolescence.
  7. Language in adulthood; effects of ageing.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures and observations

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestMultiple-choice/short-answer quiz30%
ReportChild observation report30%
ExaminationLanguage development norms and processes40%

Text References

  • ^ Owens, R. E. Jr. (2012). Language development: An introduction (8th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
  • Berko-Gleason, J., & Bernstein-Ratner, N. (2009). The development of language: The international edition (7th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
  • Clark, J., Yallop, C., & Fletcher, J. (2007). An introduction to phonetics and phonology (3rd ed.). Chichester: Wiley/Blackwell.
  • Fogle, Paul T. (2013). Essentials of communication sciences and disorders. Clifton Park, NY; Delmar Cencage Learning.
  • Kempler, D. (2005). Neurocognitive disorders in aging. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Oller, J., Ollers, S., & Badon, L. (2006). Milestones: Normal speech and language development across the lifespan. San Diego: Plural Publishers.

Journal References

  • Language Acquisition. A Journal of Developmental Linguistics
  • Journal of Child Language
  • International Journal of Communication and Language Disorders
  • International Journal of Speech Language Pathology

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SPE1102|2|2