Oct 11

CLASS 1

Topic: ORIGINS OF SPEECH and MODERN MAN

Description:

Cognition, language intelligence and language creativity

Nativist vs. anti-nativist views/ Instinct and language module vs. social learning and cognition

TED: The search for human ancestors in Ethiopia, by Z. Alemseged https://www.ted.com/talks/zeresenay_alemseged_looks_for_humanity_s_roots?language=en

Human ancestors vs. modern humans: What we need to add to the mind to get language? (J. Searle)

Animals’ communication systems vs. the language of humans (D. Premack)

What are the reasons for the rise of humans and modern language? TED Talk by Y. N. Harari

How language transformed humanity, TED Talk by M. Pagel

Readings: Sedivy, ch. 2, pp. 9-31

Assignment: Web activity 2.1-2.3 in http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/

Oct 18

CLASS 2

Topic: HOW HUMANS INVENT LANGUAGE

Description: Inventing and learning language

Gesturing, babbling, speaking, writing and signing

Language change: Survival of the fittest? Language diversity

The birth of a language documentary (investing sign language in Nicaragua)

Understanding language, UC lecture by J. Elman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1pbnWcabMY

Readings: Sedivy, ch. 2, pp. 31-50

Assignment: Web activity 2.4-2.5 http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/

Oct 25

CLASS 3

Topic: LANGUAGE and the BRAIN

Description: Genetic disorders: Specific language disorder, dyslexia, etc.

The quest to understand consciousness, TED Talk by A. Damasio

Understanding language, by J. Elman (cont.)

Readings: Sedivy, ch. 3, pp. 54-67

Recommended: Language is not an instinct, by V. Evans

Assignment: Web activity in http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/

Nov 1

CLASS 4

Topic: MAPPING LANGUAGE in the BRAIN

Description: How does brain process, perceive and produce language?

McGilchrist,The Divided Brain, TED Talk

Reading: Sedivy, ch. 3, pp. 67-84

Assignment: Web activity in http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/

Nov 8

CLASS 5

TBA

Nov. 18

CLASS 6

Topic: INFANTS’ LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: LEARNING SOUND PATTERNS

Description: How infants learn: The nature of speaking; Sound recognition and matching sounds to words;

Concepts and reference

Reading: Learning sounds, in Sedivy, ch. 4

Nov 22

CLASS 7

Topic: LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: LEARNING WORDS

Logic and brain, TED Talk by Laura Schultz

Description:

The nature of speaking; Sound recognition and matching sounds to words;

Concepts and reference

Readings: Learning words, in Sedivy, ch. 5

Assignment: Web activity in http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind

Nov 29

CLASS 8

Topic: LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: LEARNING THE STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

Description: How does mind build “logical“ sentences and “correct“ grammatical structures?

Readings: Learning the structure of words and sentences, in Sedivy, ch. 5, pp. 168-80, and ch. 6, pp. 185-200

Dec 6

CLASS 9

Topic: LANGUAGE DIVERSITY

Description: Language universals; Speakers’ learning biases

Reading: Sedivy, pp. 471-492, ch. 12.1 and 12.2

Assignment: web activities of http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/

Dec 13

CLASS 10

Topic: LANGUAGE DIVERSITY

Description: Words, concepts and cultures

Reading: Sedivy, pp. 492-516, ch. 12.3-12.5

Assignment: web activities and maps on variation across languages http://sites.sinauer.com/languageinmind/wa12.01.html