First Language Acquisition and Language Impairment - Period 5+6

In this course, we study the phases that every child goes through when acquiring his or her first language. It is amazing to see how children all over the world build up their language system in similar ways as they start out, and how they grow apart more and more as they develop more complex language skills in the typologically different languages of the world. We study the theories that try to explain how it is possible that an average four-year-old is quite fluent in his or her own language(s) while it takes adults years and years to learn a (new) language. We also study the language development of children with a developmental language disorder. These children experience difficulties in acquiring certain aspects of their own language. Sometimes the cause of these difficulties is obvious, for instance in children with hearing loss, and sometimes we don't know what causes these difficulties. We will also study the theories that try to explain the causes of these disorders. Furthermore, we will collect, study and analyze child language data, both manually and automatized. You will also be trained in giving advice to parents who worry about the language development of their child and you will develop and study materials for language assessment.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.