Language Acquisition
Instructor: Thomastine A. Sarchet
E-mail:
tasbka@rit.edu
Course Description:
Students in this course analyze theories of language acquisition with a focus on deaf and hard of hearing children. Students investigate the practical implications
of language learning on bilingual classroom instruction. Students design lesson plans involving spoken and sign language planning in their content area of expertise.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- To understand typical language development milestones for spoken language
- To understand typical language development milestones for sign language
- To identify and analyze theories of language acquisition
- To identify and explain how theories of language acquisition may be sufficient or insufficient to address the needs of their students
- To apply the theories and information learned through books and articles read and on-line discussions to their teaching lives
- To incorporate language planning activities into their lesson plans
- To evaluate the literature on international bilingual programs
- To analyze the strengths and challenges of using bilingual instructional approaches
Activities and Evaluation:
- Attendance at videoconference classes (one hour per week)
- Theoretical readings and associated journal activities
- On-line discussions of readings
- Participation in videoconference discussions of practical issues
- Writing lesson plans
Recommended texts:
Lightbrown, P.M. & Spada, N. (1999). How languages are learned (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Schirmer, B. R. (1994). Language and literacy development in children who are deaf . New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Additional required articles and websites will be made available throughout the course
Course Topics:
- What is language?
- Terminology
- What is NOT language?
- Manually coded systems of spoken language
- Pre-linguistic behaviors
- Stages of spoken language development
- Theories of language development
- How language is learned (L1)
- Acquisition of a second language (L2)
- Theories of L2 acquisition and development
- Critical language period
- Impact of deafness/hearing loss on language acquisition (L1)
- The importance of signed languages as a "natural" language for people with hearing loss
- Early and consistent exposure to "natural" language
- Bilingualism
- Research on bilinguals
- Types of bilinguals
- Spoken to spoken
- Spoken to signed
- Bilingualism in practice
- "models" of bilingual education
- Research on implementation
- Your research on bilingual and/or bimodal communication in indigenous sign language
- Opportunities for new (or further) research
- Language acquisition in sign language
- Linguistics in sign language
- Strengths and Challenges of Bilingual Your Instructional Practice
- What bilingual model/approach will you use?