PLMML: Multilingualism and Impairment Across the Lifespan

Module code: PLMML

Module provider: Clinical Language Sciences; Sch of Psych and CLS

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Ludovica Serratrice, email: l.serratrice@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 23 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module introduces key concepts on the development and use of language in bi- and multilingual individuals across the lifespan, with specific reference to clinical practice. The focus of the course is both on healthy children and adults, and on children with developmental speech and language communication difficulties and adults with acquired language disorders. A significant component of the course is devoted to understanding the theoretical, methodological, and clinical implications of the latest research evidence on the crosslinguistic assessment of bi and multilingual children with developmental language disorder and of bilingual adults with aphasia.  

The module will cover both speech and language and will include elements of linguistics, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics. The strong focus on the critical evaluation of research evidence is reflected in the two assignments for the course: a 2000-word assignment critiquing a peer reviewed article; a 3000-word original research proposal.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge of language development, language use, language processing, and language attrition in bi- multilingual children and adults with and without a speech, language and communication difficulty.  
2. Critically evaluate research on bilingual children and adults from a linguistically informed perspective. 
3. Develop a linguistically and culturally informed approach to working with multilingual clients that is non-discriminatory and inclusive. 
4. Use flexible and critically reflective practice to understand their positionality as speech and language therapists when working with multilingual and multicultural clients.

Module content

1. Introduction to topics in bilingualism: key concepts and terminology  
2. Bilingual language development in early infancy and childhood: the role of phonology and phonological awareness  
3. Lexical development in bilingual children: the distributed nature of the bilingual vocabulary 
4. The role of input in language development: quantifying the bilingual experience as predictor of lexical and morpho-syntactic development 
5. Language assessment in bilingual children: opportunities, challenges, and cultural sensitivity 
6. Language difference or languagedisorder: new assessment methods in clinical settings 
7. Cognitive correlates of bilingualism across the lifespan 
8. Code-switching vs. translanguaging: capitalising on bilingual language and cognitive resources  
9. Mental representations in typical and atypical adult bilingual speakers: the role of syntactic priming 
10. The dynamic nature of bilingualism: language attrition in adults and children 
11. Bilingualism and aphasia: understanding language-specific markers 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

1. Lectures: These will cover the core content. There will be 12 x 2-hour lectures delivered face-to-face. 
2. Seminars: There will be 12 x 1-hour seminars; in these students will critically evaluate primary literature addressing the topic addressed in the previous lecture.  
3. Discussion boards: students will be encouraged to discuss topics set by the lecturer in between weekly sessions. These will include the full range of theoretical, methodological and clinical issues addressed in the lectures and in the seminar readings.   

Study hours

At least 36 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1. Online weekly BB quizzes  
2. Feedback during seminar discussions 
3. Support in preparing a research proposal and the critical appraisal of a published paper 

Reassessment

Additional costs