Psychology of Language
Like the big collaborative projects of the internet, such as Wikipedia and Firefox, like the decentralized network of websites and machines that make up the internet itself, language is a network, a web. Language is the ultimate participatory democracy. To put it in technological terms, language is humanity's most spectacular open source project.
Gretchen McCulloch, Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
About the Course
Psychology of Language & Communication is a course about psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. Psycholinguistics is the study of the mental processes involved in language and language behavior. To that end, we will learn about the developmental and cognitive aspects of language. How do infants acquire language? Where is language in the brain? Why do some patients recover language abilities following brain injury, while others do not? We will examine the methods of psycholinguistics and discuss what is known about how humans listen, speak, converse, and read. We will discuss many of the fascinating ways in which language serves as a window into the human mind.
Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and society. To that end, we will learn about how language affects social interactions—and about how our social interactions affect language! What social information do we gather from from different forms of languages, like accents and dialects? How much can we change and control the language we use? Where do new languages, dialects, and words like "adulting" come from?
And what is UP with ChatGPT??
Who's it for?
The course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. I have taught this class as PY 703/503 at Emporia State University (cross-listed graduate/undergraduate) and as PSY 440 (upper division special topics) at Flagler College.
Many different disciplines study language and language use, so I welcome students from sociology, communications, modern languages, ethnic and gender studies, and any others who are interested!
Learning Objectives
Describe the key developmental stages of language acquisition.
Identify the major brain regions involved in language processing and their respective functions, analyzing how language abilities can be impacted by brain injuries or neurological conditions.
Compare and contrast different psycholinguistic research methods used to investigate language perception, production, and comprehension, evaluating their strengths and limitations in studying the mental processes underlying language behavior.
Assess and interpret empirical research findings in psycholinguistics.
Disseminate psycholinguistic concepts in a clear and coherent manner to professional and non-specialist audiences.
Engage in interdisciplinary discussions and collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, incorporating insights from psychology, neuroscience, and other related fields to address complex language-related challenges in various professional settings.
Evaluate the social implications of language use and its impact on various communities, demonstrating an awareness of linguistic diversity and promoting culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches to language-related issues.
Design a research project applying psycholinguistic principles to address a theoretical or practical question.
Topics
Introduction to Language Science
Language Development
Speech Production and Comprehension
Bilingual Language Processing
Sign Language
Aphasia & Language Disorders
Language Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Chatbots, AI, and Meaning
Emoji
Language and Memory
