COURSE UNIT TITLE

: BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
DIL 6091 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE ELECTIVE 3 0 0 9

Offered By

General Linguistics

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR KAMIL IŞERI

Offered to

General Linguistics

Course Objective

This course aims at providing information about the biological evolution of language, the biological constructs whihc are used in the production and perception of language, and how these constructs have been evolved.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Explaining the properties of human languages
2   Explaining the phases of language evolution
3   Explaning how the speech organs have evolved
4   Describing the anatomy of speech
5   Comparing human language with animal communication systems
6   Writing original research papers on the biological foundations of language using knowledge from different disciplines

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction, presenting the syllabus
2 What is Biolinguistics
3 The Theory of Evolution
4 The mechanisms of evolution
5 Animal communication systems and human language
6 Communication in animals and oher primates
7 The evolution of human vocal tract
8 Midterm
9 The evolution of speech control
10 Language Device I
11 Language Device II
12 Sign Language
13 Sign Language
14 Sign Language

Recomended or Required Reading

Fitch, T. W. (2010). The Evolution of Language. Cambridge: CUP.
Desalles, J.L. (2007). Why we talk: the evolutionary origins of language. Oxford: OUP
Jenkin, L. (2000). Biolinguistics: Exploring the biology of language. Cambridge: CUP
Cedric Boeckx. 2010. Language in Cognition: Uncovering Mental Structures and the Rules
behind Them. Malden, Mass. & Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Presentation
Tutoring via examples and discussion
Question and Answer

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 STT TERM WORK (SEMESTER)
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 + STT * 0.30 + FIN* 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.30 + STT * 0.30 + RST* 0.40


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

LO 1-6 will be evaluated by the questions in the midterm and final exams and projects.

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Course Policies and Rules

80% class attendance is obligatory.
Absence from classes will not be considered as an excuse for late submission of the homework assignments/projects.
Cheating and plagiarism attempts in assignments and exams will be evaluated with a 0 (zero) grade.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 5 70
Preparation for midterm exam 1 20 20
Preparation for final exam 1 40 40
Preparing presentations 1 20 20
Preparing assignments 1 20 20
Final 1 3 3
Midterm 1 3 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 218

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13
LO.1555555
LO.2555555
LO.3555555
LO.4555555
LO.5555555
LO.6555555

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 144 35210 Alsancak / İZMİR
Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

Copyright 2015 DEÜ. BİD

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