SLHS 8630, "Bilingualism and Second Language
Acquisition," Tu, 9:00-11:30 AM, Spring 2009. Led by Professor Kathryn Kohnert

Registration

Registration is no longer open for this course. It will be offered again at a date to be determined.

Description

The topic of this seminar is bilingualism and second language acquisition across the lifespan. Language is at the core of human experience. It permeates the categorization of our environments, how we solve problems, how we think, how we learn, how we interact. It is our primary and most powerful social tool. The measurement of spoken, written or signed language is used to test theoretical tenets and is fundamental to educational, cognitive, social and clinical evaluations. The majority of the global population speaks at least two languages. In the U.S., estimates are that 1 of 5 individuals speaks a language other than or in addition to English, with numbers continuing to increase. As such, bilingualism and second language acquisition are central to public policy, current pedagogy and basic theories across a wide range of disciplines.

In this seminar we will explore the possible implications of speaking more than one language on cognitive, neurological, communicative and developmental processes. The literature we will review concerns current issues and continuing controversies related to the acquisition, use, decline and measurement of two different languages for a variety of practical and theoretical purposes. Students will read approximately 50-100 pages per week, and craft a final written document of approximately 40 pages. Readings will include assigned primary and secondary sources as well as those selected by students to be most consistent with their research interests. The final written document will be directly related to dissertation planning or preparation. As just one example, a student may choose to work toward a clear and comprehensive written review and synthesis of the literature to serve as the background section for an original empirical dissertation study. A review-respond-revise process will be used to support the final written paper.

This seminar is appropriate for students in a number of disciplines including psychology, child development, education, speech-language-hearing sciences, curriculum and instruction, cognitive science, linguistics or special education, among others. Enrollment is open to doctoral students at all stages of the dissertation planning or writing process whose thinking would benefit from multidisciplinary consideration of bilingualism or second language acquisition. Class size is limited to 8 -10 students. Please contact Kathryn Kohnert at kohne005@umn.edu if you have any questions regarding the potential course "fit’" with your background, interests and academic goals.

Instructor
Dr. Kohnert is Associate Professor in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, an affiliate faculty member in English as a Second Language and co-directs the Center for Cognitive and Social Processes in Language.