This introductory lecture outlines the core focus and structure of the course Language & the Mind. The presentation introduces language as a psychological, cognitive, and socio-cultural tool, rather than merely a formal system, and frames the central question of the course: How does language shape the human mind – and how does the mind shape language? The lecture presents the three main axes of the course (biological–cognitive, developmental, and social–cultural) and explains how they are interconnected across the semester. It also clarifies how the course will be taught, how assignments are organized, and what is expected from students in terms of preparation and active participation. A key conceptual part of the lecture draws on Altmann’s perspective on psycholinguistics and uses the Tower of Babel metaphor to distinguish between linguistic description and psycholinguistic explanation, highlighting language as a dynamic process unfolding in the mind. The session concludes with an interactive activity focused on students’ own language backgrounds and an introduction to the first homework assignment. Recomended Reading_ Altman -a scan of a chapter Looking towards Babel - Attached reading to this section

This lecture examines the origins of human language from psychological, social, and evolutionary perspectives. We distinguish between language, communication, and speech, and show that while communication is widespread across species, human language is unique in its structure, productivity, and ability to express abstract and displaced meanings. Using Hockett’s design features, we identify key properties that differentiate human language from other communication systems, including animal communication such as the honeybee waggle dance. We then compare continuity and discontinuity theories of language evolution and review evidence from studies attempting to teach language to non-human primates. These studies reveal important limits in primates’ ability to use language productively and syntactically. The lecture highlights the central role of social cognition in language evolution, showing that even very young human children outperform adult primates in social–cognitive tasks and display a strong motivation to share information. Finally, we outline the evolution of speech, emphasizing that speech evolves as a biological adaptation supporting language, but does not explain language on its own. READING: Sedivy, Ch. 2 (Origins of Human Language)

In this lecture we examine how language is implemented in the brain. We move from early ideas about brain localization to modern neurolinguistic research. We begin by asking why it is difficult to map language neatly onto specific brain regions and discuss the methodological challenges of studying the brain. We explore historical evidence from brain damage, including the case of Phineas Gage, and examine how Broca’s and Wernicke’s discoveries establish the idea that language functions can dissociate. We define aphasia and show how language can selectively break down while intelligence and personality remain intact. We then move beyond the classical model and discuss modern findings showing that language is not confined to two “language areas.” We introduce brain plasticity and variability across individuals. The lecture presents Voxel-Based Lesion-Symptom Mapping (VLSM) as a modern statistical method that links patterns of brain damage to specific language deficits. We review the study by Dronkers et al. (2004), which demonstrates that different types of sentence comprehension rely on partially overlapping but distinct brain regions. Finally, we discuss the importance of cross-linguistic and bilingual aphasia research and consider how language experience shapes neural organization. The lecture concludes that language is supported by distributed and interacting neural networks rather than isolated brain centers. READING: Sedivy, Ch. 3 (Language and the Brain)

Please read the Assignment 1 description. This assignment is due 3.3.2026 To access the student resources, please work with the link provided here : https://learninglink.oup.com/access/sedivy-2e-student-resources#tag_chapter-02 The web activities are part of the Oxford Learning Link resources for Language in Mind. In most cases, to access that you should only need to create a free account and log in. So if you do not have an access for the full book content, please try the following: Create a free Oxford Learning Link account (if you do not already have one). -Log in.- Then access the student resources page again via the link provided in our Syllabus course here in MyLearning. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Since some of you experienced technical difficulties accessing the Oxford Learning Link website, I have uploaded screenshots of the relevant Web Activities from Chapter 2. You can now find: - The full task instructions for the selected Web Activities - Alternative video links for Activity 2.4 These materials allow you to complete the assignment offline, without needing to log into the Oxford platform.

In this lecture, we examine how language is structured and how phonological development unfolds in early childhood. We clarify that language development does not concern “language as a whole,” but specific interacting levels such as phonology, lexicon, morpho-syntax, and pragmatics. The main focus is on the phonological level. We explore how speech sounds are perceived, categorized, and produced, including the distinction between phonemes and allophones, the role of minimal pairs, and the articulatory dimensions of speech (place, manner, and voicing). Through practical activities, students experience the difference between spelling and sound and reflect on the abstract nature of phonological knowledge. We then examine early phonological development, including universal sensitivity to speech contrasts, categorical perception, perceptual narrowing, and experimental methods used to study infant speech discrimination. Babbling is presented as systematic vocal experimentation that reflects the interaction between motor maturation, auditory feedback, and linguistic input. The lecture concludes with an introduction to word segmentation and statistical learning. We discuss how infants track transitional probabilities in continuous speech and implicitly detect word boundaries. Finally, we briefly address the shift from implicit phonological development to explicit phonological awareness and mention D. B. Elkonin’s contribution to making phonemes visible in early literacy instruction. READING: Sedivy, Ch. 4 (Learning Sound Patterns)

Assignment No. 2 Assignment No. 2 is now open and available in the section Assignment 2, where you will find the complete task description. The full assignment instructions are also provided here as an attachment, including the detailed assessment criteria. Please make sure to read the instructions carefully before starting your work.

This lecture focuses on early phonological development and the mechanisms that allow infants to move from universal sound sensitivity to language-specific phonological systems. We examine how infants discriminate speech sounds, how perceptual narrowing occurs during the first year of life, and how statistical learning supports segmentation of the speech stream. The lecture also introduces key experimental methods used in infant research (e.g., High-Amplitude Sucking, Head-Turn Preference Procedure, Preferential Looking) and discusses how researchers infer mental representations from behavioral data. Special attention is given to babbling as a bridge between perception and production and to the transition from implicit phonological knowledge to phonological awareness relevant for literacy development. READING: Sedivy, Ch. 4 (Learning Sound Patterns)

This lecture is about how children learn word meanings. While infants are able to identify word forms in the speech stream, mapping words to meanings remains a central challenge due to reference ambiguity. The lecture introduces the idea that words are mental links between sound patterns and concepts, and that early word representations are initially coarse and become more detailed over time (lexical restructuring). Children rely on multiple sources of information when learning words, including perceptual cues, conceptual knowledge, social-pragmatic cues (especially speaker intentions), and syntactic structure (syntactic bootstrapping). Word learning is further supported by language input, which provides repeated exposure across different contexts. Overall, word learning is presented ( in the line with Ch. 5 in Sedivy) as a multi-source inferential process, in which children actively integrate different types of information to infer meaning. READING: Sedivy, Ch. 5 (Learning Words)

This section provides selected chapters from Sedivy within the portion that can be shared with you. The remaining chapters that form the core readings for Lectures 1–6 should be obtained individually by students.

The midterm essay is designed to help you reflect on the ideas discussed in the course and demonstrate your understanding of key concepts in language development and the psychology of language. The essay will be written in class 24th March. The purpose of the essay is to give you an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the key concepts discussed in the first part of the course. The essay will cover material from Lectures 1–6, including the related chapters from Sedivy, Language in Mind (chapters 2–5). Students choose one of two essay topics. The questions will ask you to explain key concepts from the course and apply them to understanding human language and language development. During the essay you may use your **printed study materials**, including: printed PowerPoint slides; your individual notes from class; printed reading notes based on the Sedivy chapters. Please note that electronic devices will not be used during the essay. Only printed materials are allowed. The essay should be approximately 400–600 words (about 1–2 pages of handwritten text). The essay is not intended to test memorization. Instead, it will evaluate your ability to explain concepts, connect ideas from the course, and illustrate them with examples. A successful essay will typically: clearly explain the relevant concept(s); connect them with ideas discussed in the lectures and readings; provide examples that help illustrate the explanation.

General feedback on your midterm essays (Option 1 and 2 ) is now available as an attachement to this section. It summarizes common strengths and areas for improvement to help you better understand expectations and support your future work.

This lecture introduces the fundamental processes underlying how children learn sentence structure. Students will explore how language development progresses from single words to structured sentences and why syntactic development is gradual, systematic, and remarkably efficient. The session focuses on key concepts from developmental psycholinguistics, including Brown’s stages of syntactic development and the role of Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) as a measure of grammatical growth. Special attention is given to the idea that children are active rule learners who construct grammatical systems rather than simply imitate language. We will also examine the main mechanisms that support sentence learning, including distributional learning, the role of meaning, and the importance of contextual cues. The lecture integrates theoretical insights with illustrative examples and interactive discussion to support a clear and accessible understanding of early syntactic development.

This section explains No.3 Assignment that is organized as a group activity. A detailed description of the assignment is attached in this section.

This lecture explores Developmental Language Disorder as a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects language, literacy, learning, and social participation. We will examine why language is central to understanding, communication, identity, and educational success, and how difficulties in language development can shape life trajectories. The lesson combines developmental models of language and reading (e.g., Simple View of Reading, developmental cascade models) with research on long-term outcomes and lived experience. Through interactive activities, case examples, and selected videos, you will learn how DLD is often hidden, misunderstood, and heterogeneous. The lecture introduces key researchers such as Dorothy Bishop and J. Bruce Tomblin, discusses the importance of terminology and awareness and assessmentWe will also reflect on the psychosocial consequences of DLD and the role of early identification, supportive relationships, and intervention in changing developmental outcomes.

Please read the instructions for Assignment 4 attached to this section. Submit your response in the Assignment section in MyLearning (due May 4th).

This lecture explores the role of the social environment in children’s language development, with a focus on the Home Language and Literacy Environment (HLLE) and bilingualism. The session begins by introducing the importance of language input in early development, drawing on the influential study by Hart and Risley. Students are guided to critically reflect on this research, including its methodological and conceptual limitations, and to consider how assumptions about “good” language input are shaped by cultural and educational perspectives. Building on this, the lecture introduces HLLE as a multidimensional concept encompassing the quantity and quality of language input, as well as literacy-related experiences within the home. Emphasis is placed on moving beyond simple “word count” approaches toward a more nuanced understanding of interaction, responsiveness, and meaningful communication. The final part of the lecture applies this framework to bilingual contexts. We will examine how language input is distributed across languages and settings, and how this challenges traditional assumptions about language exposure. Recent research is presented to demonstrate that bilingualism does not hinder development but instead highlights the complexity of language learning processes.

This is a moved class (from March). Presentations take place at room 3.11 at 11 am.

Instruction for this assignemnt is avaiable for your as and attached to this section. To submit your assignment please refer to section Assignments.

This lecture explores how language development is shaped by social and cultural contexts, with a particular focus on the role of interaction in learning. Building on the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotskij, students will examine the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and its implications for language development. The lecture introduces Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) (Reuven Feuerstein) as a framework for understanding how adults actively shape children’s learning through guided interaction. We will learn about the core features of mediation (intentionality, meaning, transcendence) and how these are expressed in language use. The lecture also introduces Mediated Self-Talk (MST) as a process through which external dialogue becomes internalized and supports thinking, self-regulation, and problem-solving. A key theme of the session is that language development is not driven by exposure alone, but by the quality of interaction. The lecture also addresses differences in access to mediated interaction across social and cultural contexts and discusses the implications for education and intervention.

Final essay – how to prepare For the final essay, you will be asked to reflect on your learning in the course Language & the Mind. To give you a better idea of what to expect, one of the questions you will work with will be: “What stayed with you from this course — and why?” You will be asked to reflect on ideas, topics, or moments that you found meaningful, surprising, or important, and to explain why. You can start thinking about this in advance — for example: • Which topics made you stop and think? • Did something change how you see language, children, or communication? You may also be asked to connect your reflection to real-life situations or your own experience. The essay will be written in class, but you are welcome to bring your notes and course materials. The goal is not memorization, but thoughtful reflection and making connections. Best, Gabriela