Two faculties that set us apart from other animals are our extraordinary capacity to learn and to communicate. This strand focuses on these faculties through the psychological study of infant and child development, and the acquisition of language skills from infancy to adulthood. 

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Like the other strandscore topic modules, the Development & Language strand runs modules run through Years 1 and 2 and is in Semester 2 in both years. In each year 1, Development & Language runs through the Autumn and Spring terms and extends into the Summer term. Autumn and Spring terms are each divided into two four week teaching blocks, each normally the responsibility of a different member of the strand's teaching team, an additional four week teaching block occupies the first weeks of the Summer Term. In year 2, the strand runs through both Autumn and Spring terms only. Exams occur each year at the beginning of the Spring term and at the end of the Summer termthe module is split into four teaching blocks covering different topics. These blocks are often taught by different members of staff.

Year 1

Year 1 begins with a broad introduction to language and development, leading to a more detailed look at infancy (including cognitive, linguistic, and motoric abilities) and early language acquisition. Year 1 ends with a consideration of how, as adults, we manage to recognize the sounds we hear as comprising individual words. 

• TB1Block 1: Introduction to  Language - Dr Silvia Gennari 
• TB2Block 2: Introduction to Development - Prof Liz Meins
• TB3Block 3: Infancy - Dr Alex Reid
• TB4Block 4: Language Development - Prof Sven MattysTB5: Sounds and Words - Dr Angela De Bruin

Year 2

Year 2 begins by considering how, as children, we learn to recognize printed words through the mapping between sounds and letters, and how, as children and adults, we understand meaning through the mapping between words, grammar, and world knowledge. We end with a more detailed look at alternative accounts of cognitive development, and developmental changes in social, and emotional development. With normal development as the back-drop, we also consider developmental disorders of cognitive functions.

• TB6: Sentences and Meaning - Prof Gareth Gaskell

• TB7Block 1: Brain and Language - Dr. Silvia GennariTB8
• Block 2: Social and Emotional Development - Dr Harriet Over
• Block 3: Cognitive Development - Dr Bailey HouseTB9: Social and Emotional Development - Dr Harriet OverMandy Hickey
• Block 4: Sentences and Meaning - Prof Gareth Gaskell

Text Books

 Sedivy, J. (2014). Language in Mind: An introduction to psycholinguistics. Sinauer Associates. 

 Slater S. & Bremner, J. G. (2011). An Introduction to Developmental Psychology, 2nd edition. 

Teaching Team