Language and Adult Lifespan Development

Catalog description

The effects of adult cognitive development and decline on the production and comprehension of language in mono- and multilinguals. APLNG 512 APLNG 512 Language and Adult Lifespan Development (3) This graduate seminar is designed to provide a theoretical and practical introduction to research on adult lifespan development and language processing among multilinguals. It will be offered every other year as one of the course options in language in society, an area of concentration for both the MA TESL and PhD in APLNG degree programs in LALS. This course is also part of a LALS sequence in Language, Health, and Aging. While the main draw will be graduate students in LALS, the course may be of interest to graduate students in bio-behavioral health, gerontology, and human development and family studies. The expected total enrollment is 15. Topics covered in course readings and activities include: theories of adult lifespan development and cognition; language processing among monolingual young, middle-aged, and older adults; multilingualism and adult lifespan development, with particular attention to the effects of aging on bilingual processing, second language acquisition, and language attrition; and research methods proper to cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of language development over time. Over the course of the semester, students will also plan, prepare, and conduct a quantitative experiment or qualitative study on one of these topics. Through participation in a variety of activities, students will 1) become familiar with the research literature on language processing and adult lifespan development, with particular attention to multilingualism, 2) develop critical skills in interpreting and comparing cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs in adult development studies, 3) develop practical skills in conducting such research and analyzing the results. Evaluation of students includes three components: 1) weekly presentation of results from required readings, 2) participation in an empirical research project conducted by the group, 3) summary paper describing the results of that research project.