LIN 444/544 Second Language Acquisition

Fall 2006

11:00-11:50 MWF in 125 Chiles

Susan Guion	Office Hours: Tu 9-10, Th 2:30-3:30
guion@uoregon.edu	Office: 220 Straub

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview and introduction to the field of second language acquisition research. We will cover many topics of interest to SLA researchers. We will first review topics by reading an overview in either the Gass and Selinger book or other general text. Then we will have a deeper look by reading the primary literature. By reading the original papers, it is hoped that you will be able to form you own interpretation of the results and theoretical importance of the work. You will also gain a better understanding of the research methodology and data analysis involved in SLA research.

Another primary focus of the course will be on data acquisition and analysis. Students will conduct a project involving the collection and analysis of a small set of data. In addition, we will carefully read and discuss the research designs and data analysis techniques of the papers we read. Final papers (obligatory for grad students, optional for undergrad students) will also have a focus on data acquisition and research methodology.

 
Text
Gass, S. & Selinker. Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course.
Other readings available on our Blackboard site.
 
Requirements

10%	Attendance and Participation Active participation in class discussion is essential to this course. Students need to be present and active. This portion of your grade is based on your contribution and participation in class.
20%	Reading Summaries Seven weekly reading summaries (3 points each) are required. Approximately 1-2 double-spaced pages for each item read for the week are expected. Additionally, 1-2 questions for each reading item should be posed. Complete and thoughtful summaries will receive the full 3 points of credit. Unexcused late summaries will be docked a point for each class meeting they are late. Bring your summaries and questions to class and be ready to discuss the reading.
20%	Data Acquisition and Analysis Project Students will record the speech of a non-native speaker (NNS) in a language they speak well in a conversational setting. The data will be transcribed and then one or two aspects of the NNS’s production will be analyzed. From this exploratory pilot study, suggestions for methods to further pursue the aspect analyzed will be proposed.
20%	Midterm Exam An in-class midterm exam using a short answer format will cover topics discussed in the first half of the course.
30%	Final Exam or Project Undergraduate students have the option of taking a comprehensive short answer format final exam or doing a final project. Graduate students must do a final project. For the project, students will propose a research design based on one of the topics we discuss in class (or another, related topic with instructor’s approval). The motivation for the study must be clearly grounded in the literature and students will be expected to references sources we may not have covered in class. In other words, you will have to do some outside reading and library research for the paper. Grad students The grad students will also conduct a pilot study based on their research design during the course of the term. Their results will be reported in their class presentation and term paper, which should be 15-20 pages long. Undergraduate students are invited, but not required to do a pilot study. Their paper will focus on their proposed research design and how it is related to theoretical issues the literature. The paper should be 8-10 pages long.

Date	Topic	Reading	Assignments
week 1 9/25,27,29	Overview and History of SLA	G&S Ch3 Selinker (1972)	Fri: Reading summaries due
week 2 10/2,4,6	Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis	Stockwell& Bowen (1965) Corder (1967) Schachter (1974)	Fri: Reading summaries due
week 3 10/9,11,13	Data acquisition and analysis	G&S Ch2	Data acquisition and analysis project assigned
week 4 10/16,18,20	The Role of the L1	G&S Ch5 Kellerman (2000)	Fri: Reading summaries due
week 5 10/23,25,27	Typological Universals and SLA	G&S Ch2 Givon (1984)	Fri: Reading summaries due
10/29	Midterm Exam Review 5:00 (note time change)
week 6 10/30,11/1,3	IL Processes	G&S Ch8 MacWhinney (2002)	Mon: Midterm Exam Fri: Reading summaries due
week 7 11/6,8,10	Dynamic aspects of SLA	De Bot, Lowie & Verspoor Ch2 Hanson & Chen (2002) Hernandez, Li, & MacWhinney (2005)	Wed: Reading summaries due Fri: Data acquisition and analysis project due w/ short student presentations
week 8 11/13,15,17	Input & Interaction	G&S Ch10 De Bot, Lowie & Verspoor Ch5	Fri: Reading summaries due
week 9 11/20,22	Age of Acquisition	G&S Ch12, pp,335-344 Bonegearts (1999)	Fri: Thanksgiving Holiday
week 10 11/27	Grad student presentations		Mon: Short presentations of graduate student projects Wed & Fri: No Class
12/4	Final Exam Review 5:00
12/5	Final Exam 10:15

Academic Honesty

All work submitted in this course must be your own and produced exclusively for this course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly acknowledged and documented. This includes contributions made by your fellow classmates. If you work together, this must be acknowledged on the assignment. Any suspected dishonesty will be taken seriously and reported. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty will fail the course.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and are anticipating needing accommodation in this course, make arrangements to see me soon. Also, request a letter from disability services verifying your disability and stating needed accommodation.