English and drama
Language, Mind and Brain
Module code: Q1202E
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework
On this module, you’ll focus on linguistic ability as a unique quality of humans. How does human language differ from animal communication systems? How is the human body, particularly the brain, adapted for language? Is language a special kind of cognition, or the product of general higher cognitive abilities?
You’ll investigate how humans understand and produce speech in such a speedy and efficient way, using a variety of evidence to evaluate theories of how the mind is structured for speech. You’ll consider:
- how words are stored in the mind so that we can find them
- why grammatical sentences like ‘the horse raced past the barn fell’ are actually very difficult to comprehend
- why words are sometimes ‘on the tip of the tongue’.
Module learning outcomes
- Demonstrate some understanding of the nature of language as a cognitive phenomenon.
- Appreciate the contribution of the various means by which language as a cognitive phenomenon is investigated: systematic observation, experimentation, computer modelling, and theoretical argument.
- Develop critical skills and learn to interpret psycholinguistic data and arguments.