Psycholinguistics 3223-AMMS-PS
Scope of Course Topics
· “…language evolved as a result of modifications to the vocal organs and neural circuits…” * – the origins of language, linguistic universals;
· “…language develops in humans during the first three years of life…” * – processes of (first) language development;
· “external language vs. internal language” * – the ontological and epistemological status of language, cognitive theories of language;
· “…language relies on combinatorial grammar, which serves to express an unlimited number of thoughts…” * – language and thought, the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity;
· “…language use involves the interaction between processes of memory retrieval and the application of rules…” * –, modular vs. holistic theories of mind, models of language processing;
· “…language is ‘embedded’ in a network of interconnected cortical areas…” * – language in the brain, neurolinguistic research;
· “…thanks to language, our ancestors were well adapted to environments characterised by complex social relationships and a wealth of knowledge…” * – theories of communication;
* after: Steven Pinker, Tabula rasa. Spory o naturę ludzką, Gdańsk: Gdańskie Wydawnictwo psychologiczne, 2005, pp. 110-111 (original: Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, 2002).