The course offers a survey and knowledge of a variety of principles and methods known as ‘cognitive linguistics’, that have developed in the last three decades as an alternative to formal models of language. This course serves to introduce students in humanities and social sciences to the study of language from the perspective of human cognition and its impact on language production and language use. It is designed for students without prior exposure to linguistics or language studies. It aims to promote the view that language is a product of human cognition through the interaction between perception and conceptualization. By exposing them to some of the basic principles in cognitive linguistics and a range of linguistic constructions, the course aims to enable the students to gain a better appreciation of and better understanding about language for the purpose of developing the desirable analytical and intellectual language essential to academic inquiry.
This course will provide students with psychological, sociological and linguistic perspectives on the acquisition of a second language, with particular emphasis on English as a Second/Foreign language with in-depth knowledge of both theory and methods in second-language acquisition specialized in English. Moreover, students learn to critically judge new teaching methods and learning strategies in second-language acquisition. The course also familiarizes students with research and research methods in second language acquisition.
In addition, this course will provide grounding in the major theories of SLA. It will explore the individual, social, and cognitive processes involved in the development and use of a second language. The role of first language, culture, and identity in language acquisition will be examined along with the teacher’s role in facilitating the process of second language acquisition.