Overview

Topics may vary from year to year, but will be drawn from:
1. Introduction to language impairment and bilingualism
2. Investigating language development and impairment in bilingual populations
3. Language in bilingual individuals with Down syndrome/other genetic conditions 4. Language and autism
5. Dyslexia
6. Developmental Language Disorder 7. Acquired language disorders – Neurolinguistics

Topics may vary from year to year, but will be drawn from:
1. Introduction to language impairment and bilingualism
2. Investigating language development and impairment in bilingual populations
3. Language in bilingual individuals with Down syndrome/other genetic conditions 4. Language and autism
5. Acquired language disorders – Neurolinguistics

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D: Student has achieved the minimum acceptable standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all the learning outcomes. Student can demonstrate a minimum level of understanding of the basic concepts and be able to apply them to data with some degree of accuracy. -good -B: Student has achieved a better-than-average standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes, and has a clear and accurate understanding of concepts; ability to apply concepts to data critically and thoughtfully; evidence of wide reading and clear and accurate reference to source materials; free from misunderstanding and errors of content; free from irrelevant material. -excellent -A: Student has achieved a thorough standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes; or student has demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement in one or more learning outcomes together with a good overall standard. Student has achieved a thorough understanding of the subject, both in terms of content and theory; student is able to apply concepts clearly and accurately; substantial evidence of critical and original thought and analysis; clear, logical argument; high level of communicative competence; free from irrelevant material and errors of spelling and punctuation; evidence of extensive reading beyond basic texts and clear and accurate references to source material.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to critically evaluate relevant empirical studies.

• Students will be able to describe, analyse and critically compare competing accounts and theories concerning atypical language acquisition and acquired language disorders in monolinguals and bilinguals.

• Students will be able to identify and evaluate the linguistic characteristics of each type of speech and language impairments, and explain how these findings relate to linguistic theory .

• Students will be able to present and discuss key facts, concepts, ideas and approaches relating to the study of language disorders.

• Students will understand the major types of speech and language impairments in monolinguals and bilinguals, and be able to identify them.