Modular elective lecture: Psycholinguistics 3200-L1-MPF-PLG
This course is an introductory survey of psycholinguistics concentrating on the way language interacts with cognition. In particular, the course will introduce students to psycholinguistics and its sub-fields including: the biological bases of language (the relationship between language and the processes of the brain and mind), speech perception, the lexicon, sentence processing, discourse, speech production, language development and acquisition as well as language breakdown (aphasia). Also, we will explore the major theories in the area of psycholinguistics (generative, cognitive, and neurocognitive) and try to relate them to daily linguistic practice. Finally, we will inquire into the process of translation from the psycholinguistic perspective.
a. the origin and development of psycholinguistics; definitions; scope of interest; methods of study (methods common to psycholinguistics and experimental psychology; qualitative methods; error analysis);
b. affinity between modern psycholinguistics and other areas of study, e.g. philosophy, anthropology, sociology, computer programming, psychiatry, rhetoric;
c. development of psycholinguistics and its reference to language theories (transformational-generative; cognitive, neurocognitive);
d. biological basis of human language functioning; explanations of language phylogeny; human communication and animal communication;
e. neurophysiological basis of human language functioning; methods of neurophysiological investigation; localisation and distributed processing theories;
f. cultural and social conditioning of human language functioning; theory of language relativism;
g. speech perception; its physical, physiological, neurological, sensory, cognitive, and affective aspects; factors determining perception: attention, stability, motivation, organisation, attitude, learning;
h. speech production; producing speech sounds; models of speech production;
i. ontogenetic language development; universal stages of language acquisition; development of language competence and communicative j. competence; communicative competence and its relation to discourse;
k. individual differences in language acquisition; phonological, grammatical, and pragmatic impairment in language development;
l. bilingualism; types of bilingualism; age, abilities, motivation - main factors determining types of bilingualism;
m. second/foreign language learning; factors influential in successful second/foreign language learning; comparison of first language acquisition and second/foreign language learning;
n. verbal and non-verbal communication; universal and culture-bound features; social and individuals features; lying; intra- and intercultural communication.
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Term 2025L:
This course offers an in-depth introduction to psycholinguistics, an interdisciplinary field that examines the psychological, cognitive, and neurobiological foundations of human language. Students will investigate the mechanisms by which people produce and perceive speech, mentally represent and access words, construct and interpret sentences in real time, and manage multiple languages within a single cognitive system. The course places strong emphasis on the neural architecture supporting language, the methodologies used to study language processing (including behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging), and the ways in which disruptions to the brain—such as aphasia—inform our understanding of language functions. Drawing on research from psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and cognitive science, this course equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how language is processed, represented, and controlled in the human mind and brain. |
Term 2026L:
This course offers an in-depth introduction to psycholinguistics, an interdisciplinary field that examines the psychological, cognitive, and neurobiological foundations of human language. Students will investigate the mechanisms by which people produce and perceive speech, mentally represent and access words, construct and interpret sentences in real time, and manage multiple languages within a single cognitive system. The course places strong emphasis on the neural architecture supporting language, the methodologies used to study language processing (including behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging), and the ways in which disruptions to the brain—such as aphasia—inform our understanding of language functions. Drawing on research from psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and cognitive science, this course equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how language is processed, represented, and controlled in the human mind and brain. |
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Type of course
General: obligatory courses | Term 2026L: elective courses | Term 2025L: elective courses |
Learning outcomes
K_W01, K_W02, K_W03, K_W05, K-W06, K_W09m K_U01, K_U03, K_U04, K_U06, K_U09, K_K01, K_05
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- explain the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language comprehension, production, and manipulation.
- describe how the brain supports speech production and comprehension, and how words and sentences are processed in real time.
- analyze processes involved in reading, word recognition, and sentence parsing as they unfold in the mind.
- evaluate how linguistic knowledge is represented and dynamically accessed during everyday communication.
- compare language processing across modalities and experiences, including bilingualism, sign language, and gesture.
- interpret clinical evidence (e.g., aphasia) to understand how language systems function and what occurs when they break down.
- assess the role of psychological and emotional factors, such as speaking anxiety, in shaping linguistic performance.
- integrate findings from behavioral, neuroimaging, and experimental research to explain the interaction between cognition, brain, and social context in language processing.
- apply theoretical and methodological tools to analyze language processing across different populations, modalities, and communicative settings.
Assessment criteria
• Midterm exam – 45%
• Final exam – =45%
• Participation – 10%
• Interactive classes (questions to students, students’ questions, short
discussions)
• Interactive presentations
• Videos of experiments (neuroimaging, eye-tracking)
Practical placement
n/a
Bibliography
Field, John (2004) PSYCHOLINGUISTICS: THE KEY CONCEPTS. Routledge: London (if available)
Paradis, Michael (2004) A NEUROLINGUISTIC THEORY OF BILINGUALISM. John Benjamins Publishing Company: Amsterdam/Philadelphia
Matthew J. Traxler, Introduction to Psycholinguistics, 2023, John Wiley &
Sons
Eva M. Fernández, Helen Smith Cairns (Eds): The Handbook of
Psycholinguistics, 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Cambridge: CUP
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Term 2025L:
• Matthew J. Traxler, Introduction to Psycholinguistics, 2023, John Wiley & • Eva M. Fernández, Helen Smith Cairns (Eds): The Handbook of |
Term 2026L:
• Matthew J. Traxler, Introduction to Psycholinguistics, 2023, John Wiley & • Eva M. Fernández, Helen Smith Cairns (Eds): The Handbook of |
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: