Neurolinguistics

Catalog description

Offered spring. This course will introduce students to Neurolinguistics, the study of language in the brain, reviewing theories of how language is processed in the mind and the organizational bases of language within the human nervous system. The course includes information on the history of neurolinguistics, modern techniques and methods of neurolinguistic research, and also provides detailed examples of several recent studies in the field. We will discuss how language maps onto the brain in “time” and “space” from the perspective of different theoretical models, examining linguistics components of sound, meaning, and structural processing, as well as the constraints of neurolinguistic models. Topics will include the neurophysiological aspects of first and second language acquisition/bilingualism, literacy, neurogenetics of language, the neuroethology of language, and clinical research in speech, reading, and writing disorders. In addition, students will gain a more general understanding of how to evaluate different theories of language and cognition. More specifically, students will gain practice in uncovering important questions about an area of interest, determining the appropriate methods to address these questions, and critically evaluating the conclusions drawn. Co-convenes with NEUR 485 . Level: Undergraduate-Graduate