2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PSYC3538 Development of Language and Literacy

15 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr Hannah Nash
Email: h.nash@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successful completion of all pass for progression modules in Level 2 of: BSc Psychology or MPsyc, BSc Advanced Psychology, BA Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought (and its International and Industrial variants) or BSc Psychology with Education (and its International and Industrial variants)

Module replaces

PSYC3529 Language and Development

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module aims to give students an insight into the acquisition and development of language and literacy from childhood and into adulthood and will be of particular relevance to students interested in careers where an understanding of language is necessary, such as speech & language/occupational therapy, areas of clinical and educational psychology and both primary and secondary school teaching. The module builds upon core knowledge acquired in Level 1 and Level 2 modules which cover Cognitive and Developmental Psychology as well as Language and Memory and takes a cognitive/experimental approach. Students will be encouraged to engage with primary research literature relating to each topic area.

Objectives

This module aims to provide in depth coverage of empirical, conceptual and theoretical issues relating to the development of language and literacy throughout childhood and into adulthood. Typical and disordered development will be considered. The module will be taught by experts in the subject.
Students will continue to develop their knowledge in this area of the discipline with particular emphasis on relevant research.

Learning outcomes
By engaging successfully with this module a student will be able to:
• Describe and critique the various methods and approaches typically used in the field of psycholinguistics, language acquisition and reading development.
• Identify and explain the cognitive mechanisms which underpin language acquisition.
• Evaluate theories and models of language acquisition, reading and development.
• Understand how developmental language disorder and dyslexia are diagnosed and psychological explanations of the two disorders.
• Address current debates in the area
• Identify and critically evaluate relevant research literature.
• Communicating scientific findings to a wider audience.

Skills outcomes
Subject specific skills:
- Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in the selection, evaluation and application of published research in the area of language acquisition.
- Information retrieval, synthesis and evaluation
- Evidence-based reasoning
- Group working and presentation skills

Syllabus

The module content will include a selection of the following topics. Exact content may vary slightly from year to year based upon staff interests/expertise and trends in the research literature:

• Infant language acquisition
• Learning new words
• Combining words
• Developmental Language Disorder
• Learning to read
• Dyslexia
• Multilingualism
• Assessment preparation

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	7	2.00	14.00
Seminar	2	2.00	4.00
Tutorial	7	1.00	7.00
Private study hours			125.00
Total Contact hours			25.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Reading for each lecture 7 x 5 - 35 hrs
Preparation for seminar - 5 hrs
Coursework preparation - 50 hrs
Independent literature searches and reading, contribution to discussion - 35 hrs

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will have the opportunity for feedback on the topic and structure for their ‘video for parents’ following the seminar in week 8 and on their selection of a journal article for the ‘research in focus’ assignment following the seminar in week 9.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Video guide for parents	50.00
Written Work	Research in Focus: 1000 word evaluation and exploration of journal articles	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Summative assessment will take the form of two pieces of coursework. The first is a video guide for parents) summarising an aspect of children’s language or reading development covered in the module in a manner that is accessible for parents. Students will be expected to explain the aspect of development, including reference to theories and research evidence and consider practical implications for parents. The second is a 1000 word research in focus assignment, which will require students to choose a journal article from the module reading list key and summarise this, then to generate a question based on this reading and identify at least 3 additional, more recent journal articles that help to answer this question.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 01/05/2024 11:32:44

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