Biological and psychological foundations of language 15-BIPPJ-KJS-11

This course is an up-to-date introduction to the neuroscience of language. It guides students through all of the major areas of investigation, beginning with fundamental aspects of brain structure and function, and then proceeding to cover the perception and production of speech, the processing of language, the formulation and comprehension of complex expressions, including words, complete sentences, and entire stories. Drawing heavily on prominent theoretical models, the core contents of the course illustrates how such frameworks are supported, and sometimes challenged, by experiments employing diverse brain mapping techniques. On completion of the course the student will possess state of the art knowledge on how the brain perceives, represents, produces and comprehends language at all the levels of its structure, beginning with an individual sound and ending with a complex message. The classes aim at stimulating interest, reading and discussion of the theoretical approaches and specific studies presented in the literature. Students get acquainted with theoretical perspectives on and empirical studies of specific language acquisition problems. This knowledge, constituting a backdrop against which specific empirical problems can be put against, is meant to help students choose, plan and design their own diploma studies.