Crosslinguistic perspectives on language development

Quarter: Fall 2023

Class: Wednesdays 1:30pm-4:20pm

Office hours: Book online here in Rosenwald 318A or Zoom (please indicate in your online booking)

Instructor: Marisa Casillas (mcasillas@uchicago.edu)

This discussion-based course covers cross-linguistic evidence concerning similarities and dissimilarities in how children learn language across diverse language communities. Each year will revolve around a central topic. This year we will focus on the acquisition of phonology. Assignments are noted in green text.

Grading

  • 30% reading notes
  • 40% participation
  • 30% final presentation

Reading notes

For most readings, students are expected to demonstrate their understanding by responding to a handful of questions. There are three general types of readings: journal articles, scientific reviews, and book chapters. For journal articles, students should copy/download and complete the notes worksheet here. For scientific reviews, book chapters, and opinion/persuasion pieces, students should copy/download and complete the notes worksheet this worksheet.

NOTE: It is up to you to determine which worksheet fits best for a reading, but if individual study methods and findings are detailed in the reading, it is almost always better to use the journal articles worksheet.

Participation

This class is a seminar, which means all of our in-class time is dedicated to group discussion of papers that we have read. Everyone is expected to both (1) do the weekly readings and (2) contribute to the group discussions. As part of participation, students will:

  • take turns presenting papers to the class and leading discussion, and
  • help each other refine ideas in the presentation workshops.

Final presentation

During the last 1–2 days of class (depending on class size), students will give a brief presentation about a research question and proposed study design related to the course topic/readings. The best presentations will be well embedded in current theory, detailed in the report of their design, grounded in some real data (e.g., pilot data, original indirect supporting evidence, etc.), and have a concrete analysis plan that aligns with principles of open science.

Day-by-day schedule

Week 1

Readings: None!

Week 2

Readings:

  1. Singh, L., Rajendra, S. J., & Mazuka, R. (2022). Diversity and representation in studies of infant perceptual narrowing. Child Development Perspectives, 16(4), 191-199. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12468
  2. Byers‐Heinlein, K., & Fennell, C. T. (2014). Perceptual narrowing in the context of increased variation: Insights from bilingual infants. Developmental Psychobiology, 56(2), 274-291. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21167
  3. Matusevych, Y., Schatz, T., Kamper, H., Feldman, N., & Goldwater, S. (2023). Infant phonetic learning as perceptual space learning: A crosslinguistic evaluation of computational models. Cognitive Science, 47(7), e13314. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13314
  • Tuesday, October 3, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, October 4, 2023 (Class): Perception lecture + individual paper discussion + paper choices for week 3.

Week 3

Readings:

  1. TBA (selected by class)
  2. TBA (selected by class)
  3. TBA (selected by class)
  • Tuesday, October 10, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (Class): Individual paper discussion

Week 4 - Class is only from 3–4:30 this week!

Readings: None!

  • Wednesday, October 18, 2023 (Class): Production lecture.

Week 5 – Class is on Zoom this week!

Readings:

  1. de Boysson-Bardies, B., & Vihman, M. M. (1991). Adaptation to language: Evidence from babbling and first words in four languages. Language, 67(2), 297-319.
  2. Cristia, A. & Casillas, M. (2022). Nonword repetition in children learning Yélî Dnye. Language Development Research, 2(1), 69–104.
  3. Vihman, M. M., Mitsuhiko, O. T. A., Keren-Portnoy, T., Shanshan, L. O. U., & Choo, R. Q. (2022). Child phonological responses to variegation in adult words: A cross-linguistic study. Journal of Child Language, XX, 1-28.
  • Tuesday, October 24, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, October 25, 2023 (ZOOM class): Individual paper discussion + paper choices for week 6.

Week 6

Readings:

  1. TBA (selected by class)
  2. TBA (selected by class)
  3. TBA (selected by class)
  • Tuesday, October 31, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, November 1, 2023 (Class): Individual paper discussion

Week 7

Readings:

  1. Brentari, D., Coppola, M., Mazzoni, L., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2012). When does a system become phonological? Handshape production in gesturers, signers, and homesigners. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 30(1), 1.
  2. Mintz, T. H., Walker, R. L., Welday, A., & Kidd, C. (2018). Infants’ sensitivity to vowel harmony and its role in segmenting speech. Cognition, 171, 95-107.
  3. Vihman, M. M., Ota, M., Keren-Portnoy, T., Choo, R. Q., & Lou, S. (2023). A challenge to whole-word phonology? A study of Japanese and Mandarin. Language Learning and Development, XX, 1-21.
  • Tuesday, November 7, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, November 8, 2023 (Class): Individual paper discussion + paper choices for week 8.
  • Thursday, November 9, 2023 (Assignment deadline): 3–4 page double-spaced preliminary research study proposal (with references).

Week 8

Readings:

  1. TBA (selected by class)
  2. TBA (selected by class)
  3. TBA (selected by class)
  • Tuesday, November 14, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Reading notes for 2 papers (UG) or all papers (GD). 2+ clarification questions for all papers (UG & GD).
  • Wednesday, November 15, 2023 (Class): Individual paper discussion

Week 9

Readings: None!

  • Wednesday, November 29, 2023 (Class): Research proposal presentations. Attendance is mandatory.
  • Wednesday, November 29, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Submit your slides and other presentation materials for final evaluation.
  • Wednesday, November 29, 2023 (Assignment deadline): Submit a self-assessment of your participation this quarter (1 paragraph) for final evaluation.

Exams week

  • Nothing!

Contact

Email: mcasillas@uchicago.edu

Office: Rosenwald 318A

Office hours: Book online here in Rosenwald 318A or Zoom (please indicate in your online booking)

If you require any accommodations for this course, as soon as possible please provide your instructor with a copy of your Accommodation Determination Letter (provided to you by the Student Disability Services office) so that you may discuss with him/her how your accommodations may be implemented in this course. The University of Chicago is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or think you may have a disability) and, as a result, need a reasonable accommodation to participate in class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the University’s programs or services, you are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. To receive reasonable accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with Student Disability Services. Please contact the office at 773-834-4469/TTY 773-795-1186 or gmoorehead@uchicago.edu, or visit the website at disabilities.uchicago.edu. Student Disability Services is located in Room 233 in the Administration Building located at 5801 S. Ellis Avenue.