1414.14 - Language development (MA)

1414.14

Language development (MA)

10

Students must have completed the BA in Faroese with good marks or have equivalent qualifications. This course can also be taken as an individual course with other prerequisites (please refer to the academic programme in force).

The purpose of this course is to provide students with insight into mother tongue language development and the methods, which can be used to describe and test language development.

The course provides students with insight into normal language development in children learning their mother tongue. Which factors influence language development? Are there special conditions affecting children learning Faroese? What is the connection between language development and reading skills later in life?

The duration of the course is three hours a week during the 2014 autumn semester. The approaches used are lectures, student presentations and class-based discussions.

Successful students can demonstrate that they have acquired: • In-depth theoretical knowledge about language development in children • Knowledge about different methods used to gather data on child language and critically assess it • The ability to use specialist concepts from the field • A familiarity with areas closely related to language development such as reading skills • The ability to describe the special circumstances applicable to children learning Faroese • The ability to search for material on the topic and assess it

Six-hour written examination. Students are allowed to bring all course materials to the examination.

External

Erika Hoff, 4. Ed.: Language development, Wadsworth, Cengage learning. 490 pages. Kristoffersen, K.E. et al, 2012: Utvikling og variasjon i kommunikative ferdigheter hos barn som lærer norsk- en CDI-basert studie (Development and variation in communication skills among children learning Norwegian – a CDI-based study). In addition to other articles. Total 800 pages.