Identifying Data 2023/24
Subject (*) Cognition and Cognitive Processes in English Code 613505110
Study programme
Mestrado Universitario en Estudos Ingleses Avanzados e as súas Aplicacións (2019)
Descriptors Cycle Period Year Type Credits
Official Master's Degree 2nd four-month period
First Optional 3
Language
English
Teaching method Face-to-face
Prerequisites
Department Letras
Coordinador
Alonso Giraldez, Jose Miguel
E-mail
miguel.giraldez@udc.es
Lecturers
Alonso Giraldez, Jose Miguel
E-mail
miguel.giraldez@udc.es
Web http://www.imaes.eu/?page_id=31
General description Este curso constitúe unha introdución aos fenómenos da cognición e o procesamiento da linguaxe. O principal obxectivo é investigar como a mente humana (e, en última instancia, o cerebro humano) almacena e usa a linguaxe en liña. O curso busca proporcionar aos estudantes coñecementos básicos sobre a realidade psicolóxica da linguaxe e da forma en que a mente utiliza (ou non) o coñecemento gramatical no uso da linguaxe ordinaria.

Study programme competencies
Code Study programme competences
A1 E01 – Familiarity with the main research models in linguistic research.
A2 E02 – Familiarity with the main resources, tools and methodologies in linguistic research.
A3 E03 – Capacity to reflect on the factors which influence the learning and acquisition of English as a foreign language.
A4 E04 – Familiarity with cognition and processing studies within the scope of research into English linguistics.
B7 G02 – Students must be capable of applying the knowledge acquired in the multidisciplinary and multifaceted area of English Studies
B8 G03 – An efficient use of new information technology and communication in English Studies is a necessary skill.
B10 G05 – Skills related to research and the handling of new knowledge and information in the context of English Studies are to be acquired by students

Learning aims
Learning outcomes Study programme competences
This course constitutes an introduction to psycholinguistics and language processing. Psycholiguistics is the discipline that studies how the human mind (and, ultimately, the human brain) stores and uses language on-line. The course seeks to provide students with basic knowledge about the psychological reality of language and of the way in which the mind makes use (or not) of grammatical knowledge in ordinary language use. AR1
AR2
AR3
AR4
BR7
BR8
BR10

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
1. Introduction to psycholinguistics: aims, scope and methods.
2. Experience or genes. Innateness.
3. The biology of language. Acquisition.
4. Words in the mind.
5. Syntactic comprehension.
6. Language production. Cognitive linguistics.
7.-Semantic production: the importance of meaning.
COGNITIVE THEORIES and HISTORY
COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS THEORY- INTRODUCTION-
COGNITIVE AND FUNCIONAL THEORIES
COGNITIVE AND FUNCIONAL THEORIES II
The relationship between linguistic knowledge and cognition.
Language and speech production.
Comprehension (definition, coherence and cohesion,
assessing comprehension).
Chomsky's cognitive theory.
Functionalism and experientialism.
The symbolic function of language.
Language experience and lexical foundations.
Cognitive semantics
Categorization, prototypes, schema. The mental representation of categories.
The concept of frames.
Embodied experience.
Metaphor and metonymy.
The construction of the spaces of the mind.
Cognitive aspects of grammar
Cognition and literature.

Planning
Methodologies / tests Competencies Ordinary class hours Student’s personal work hours Total hours
Seminar A1 A2 A3 A4 B7 B8 B10 14 30 44
Long answer / essay questions A1 A2 A3 A4 0 30 30
 
Personalized attention 1 0 1
 
(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies
Methodologies Description
Seminar Individual and Group work technique that aims to intensively study a topic. It is characterized by discussion, participation, the elaboration of documents and the conclusions to which all the components of the seminar must reach.

Classes and seminars, including debates, and written work, etc.
Moodle UDC
Long answer / essay questions Written test used to evaluate learning, whose distinctive feature is the possibility of determining whether the answers given are correct or not. It is a measurement instrument, rigorously developed, that allows to evaluate knowledge, abilities, skills, performance, aptitudes, attitudes, intelligence, etc. It is applicable for both diagnostic, formative and summative evaluation.

The objective test can combine different types of questions: multiple choice questions, ordering, short answer, discrimination, completion and / or association questions. You can also build it with just one type of one of these questions.

Personalized attention
Methodologies
Seminar
Description
Class attendance is compulsory except for temporary medical exemption.
Professor is available in office hours (appointment by e-mail required), and also via e-mail. Class sessions and tutorial meetings, if applicable, can be conducted via Teams, especially for students with academic exemption or partial enrolment.



Assessment
Methodologies Competencies Description Qualification
Seminar A1 A2 A3 A4 B7 B8 B10 Attendance is mandatory.
Active participation in classes (presential and/or virtual) which are considered as interactive: up to 20% of the final grade.
20
Long answer / essay questions A1 A2 A3 A4 Assessment will be based on:
a) Written or oral test in which the theoretical and practical contents of the course are included, together with theoretical questions and exercises.
Or, alternatively,
b) Coursework done in class and/or a written essay or an oral presentation.

Skills in English language, both oral and written English, style, punctuation, vocabulary, and correct structuring and presentation of activities, and other aspects: up to 30%
80
 
Assessment comments

Given that this degree programme is
part distance learning, part actual attendance, students are required to attend
the compulsory sessions, unless they have applied for exemption within the time
period specified by the Academic Commission of the degree, and this exemption
has been granted. This exemption will be valid provided students comply with
the rules on attendance in force in the three universities participating in the
programme, and provided they comply with the assessment systems which are
specified in the teaching guides for each module. Students should be aware,
however, that not attending certain classroom sessions may affect their final
grades.

Students
who have been granted exemption, as specified in the university regulations,
will be assessed according to the criteria applied to the July opportunity.

It is necessary to achieve at least a mark of 4 points in each of the exams or assignments in order to obtain a final mark. 

Any student who does not carry out the supervised work, if any, or the class work, or has not performed work equal to or greater than 50% of the rest of the evaluation categories, will obtain the rating of NO PRESENTADO. Anyone who does not show up for the written test can only achieve the grade of No presentado.

Students
who do not pass in the first opportunity will be able
to re-sit in July, when they will be required to demonstrate that they have
acquired the skills for each module via two types of assessment: a supervised
project with the same percentage value and characteristics as in the first
opportunity, plus the exercises agreed upon with the lecturer(s) as a
substitute for the other activities of the module. 

In accordance with the various regulations governing university teaching, it is necessary to incorporate a gender perspective into this
subject.
This includes,
among other measures, the use of non-sexist language, bibliographies that
are inclusive from a gender perspective, and encouraging participation from all students
in class, regardless of their gender. Particular attention to identifying and addressing sexist
prejudices and attitudes will be paid. We will actively work towards the modification of this environment and the promotion
of values of respect and equality. Our efforts will focus on detecting cases of gender discrimination and
implementing appropriate actions to rectify such
cases. 

Plagiarism

In this subject, the Turnitin tool could be used in the evaluation of essays and activities. Based on the recommendations of the Xunta de Facultade, the following text is added for the students' consideration: Turnitin is an application for teachers to review parts of a text from other texts and indicate their origin. This tool can identify papers presented previously in this or other universities, including those written by the same student. If this circumstance occurs, it will be understood that it is contrary to academic honesty and will be applied to the academic regulations for evaluations, grades, etc. "Any academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating in exams, etc.) will be penalised in accordance with the provisions of the 'Normas de avaliación, revisión e reclamación das cualificacións dos estudos de grao e mestrado universitario'. 

Any plagiarized exercise or
test will result in a failing grade (0) in this subject in accord with article
11, section 4b, of the  "Regulamento
disciplinar do estudantado da UDC": “Cualificación de suspenso na
convocatoria en que se cometa a falta e respecto da materia en que se cometese:
o/a estudante será cualificado con “suspenso” (nota numérica 0) na convocatoria
correspondente do curso académico, tanto se a comisión da falta se produce
naprimeira oportunidade como na segunda. Para isto, procederase a modificar a
súa cualificación na acta de primeira oportunidade, se fose necesario”.


Sources of information
Basic Evans, Vyvyan and Melanie Green (2006). Cognitive linguistics, 1. Edinburgh University Press
Ungerer & Schmid (1996). An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics. Harlow: Pearson Education
  1. Aitchison, J. 2008. The Articulate Mammal. London: Unwin Hyman.
  2. Aitchison, J. 2001. Language Change: Progress or Decay? Cambridge: C.U.P.
  3. Aitchison, J. 2003. Words in the Mind. Oxford: Blackwell.
  4. Aitchison, J. 1996. The Seeds of Speech. Cambridge: C.U.P .
  5. Altman, G. 1997. The Ascent of Babel. Oxford: O.U.P.
  6. Carroll, D.W. 2008. Psychology of Language. Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole.
  7. Citron, Francesca and Goldberg, Adele E. Metaphorical Sentences Are More Emotionally Engaging than Their Literal Counterparts. May 2014. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 26:2585-2595
  8. Field, John. 2004. Psycholinguistics: a resource book for students. London: Routledge.
  9. Field, John. 2005. Language and the mind. London: Routledge.
  10. Garman, M. 1990. Psycholinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P .
  11. Jackendoff, R. 1993. Patterns in the Mind. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
  12. Jackendoff, R. 2002. Foundations of language. Oxford: O.U.P.
  13. Pinker, S. 1994. The Language Instinct. London: Penguin.
  14. Steinberg, D. 1993. An Introduction to Psycholinguistics. Harlow, Essex: Longman.
Complementary
Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic structures. The Hague: Mouton.
Chomsky, N. (1959). A Review of B. F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior. Language, 35, 26–58.
Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Recommendations
Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before

Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously

Subjects that continue the syllabus

Other comments

Segundo se recolle nas distintas normativas de aplicación para a docencia universitaria, nesta materia utilizarase a perspectiva de xénero (usarase linguaxe non sexista, utilizarase bibliografía de autores/as de ambos sexos, propiciarase a intervención en clase de alumnos e alumnas...) Asemade, traballarase para identificar e modificar prexuízos e actitudes sexistas e influirase no posible para modificalos e fomentar valores de respecto e igualdade. Igualmente, deberanse detectar situacións de discriminación por razón de xénero, no seu caso, e proporanse accións e medidas para corrixilas. 



(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.