! PSYCO 357 - A1 Language Processing
Fall 2019
Instructor: Dr. C. Gagné Office: BSP-569
E-mail: [email protected]
Course Location, Days and Time: BS M149, Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-3:20 Office Hours: available by appointment
Web Page: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/
This site contains modules for discussion, assignments, presentations (from lecture), due dates, web links, and several other useful items. Content will be updated regularly. To access the site, you must be registered in the course. The password and login id are the same as your GPU account (the account where you receive your U of A mail).
TA: Kina Montenegro [email protected]
Course Description and Prerequisites: A survey of theories and research on the production and comprehension of spoken and written language. Topics include speech perception, printed word recognition, sentence production and comprehension, discourse processing, reading, language development, and language pathologies. The focus will be on the processing mechanisms implicated by findings in the area. Pre-requisites: PSYCO 258 [Faculty of Arts]
Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes:
1. Learn and be able to explain psychological theories and approaches to the study of language processing.
2. Practice evaluating and understanding experimental research relevant to language processing.
3. Be able to interpret data arising from psychological studies.
4. Improve communication skills through writing assignments and participation in in-class discussions.
Required Textbook:
Sedivy, J. (2020) Language in the Mind. 2nd Edition. New York: Oxford University Press The textbook is available at the University Bookstore and an electronic version is available for purchase or rental at https://www.vitalsource.com/en-ca/products/language-in-mind- julie-sedivy-v9781605358369
Resources for the textbook (i.e. flashcards, activities, etc.) can be found at: https://oup- arc.com/access/sedivy-2e-student-resources#tag_chapter-01
Prior to the first assignment please read the Academic Integrity website.
Important Dates: See https://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?
catoid=28&navoid=7167 for withdrawal dates, etc.
Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings:
At the end of each lecture, I will announce the plans for the subsequent lecture and will notify you of upcoming weekly assignments. It is easiest to learn the material if you read the chapter prior to the lecture, and then review your readings (and notes) following each lecture.
Schedule Fall 2019 Any changes will be announced during lecture
Week Tuesday Thursday Chapter Assignment
1 03 September 05 September Ch. 1 Science, Language, and the Science of Language
2 10 September 12 September Ch 10 Speaking: From Planning to Articulation
3 17 September 19 September Ch 11. Discourse and Inference ❏ 1 Ch 10 4 24 September 26 September - continuation of ch 10 and 11 ❏ 2 Ch 11 5 01 October 03 October Ch 4 Learning Sound Patterns ❏ 3 Ch 4
6 08 October 10 October Ch 5 Learning Words ❏ 4 Ch 5
7 15 October 17 October Ch 6 Learning the Structure of Sentences ❏ 5 Ch 6 8 22 October 24 October - continuation of Ch 4, 7, and 5; plus review
MIDTERM OCT 24
9 29 October 31 October Ch 7 Speech Perception ❏ 6 Ch 7
10 05 November 07 November Ch 8 Word Recognition ❏ 7 Ch 8
11 12 November 14 November Reading week - No lectures
12 19 November 21 November Ch 9 Understanding Sentence Structure and Meaning
❏ 8 Ch 9
13 26 November 28 November Ch 2 Origins of Human Language ❏ 9 Ch 2 14 03 December 05 December Ch 3 Language and the Brain ❏ 10 Ch 3
Final exam: set by registrar
Explanatory Notes on Assignments:
All assignments, quizzes, and exams must be done on your own and must not have been submitted as work for another course. In this course, student are not permitted to
collaborate on assignments. All work that you submit for evaluation should be your own work. Prior to the first assignment, all students should read the Appropriate Collaboration link on the Office of Student Judicial Affairs website (http://www.osja.ualberta.ca/Students/
AppropriateCollaboration.aspx)
Students should also read Instructions about Plagiarism and the Don’t Do It Sheet. Links to these documents will be provided on the course website.
Past or Representative Evaluative Material:
Examples of evaluative material for the examinations will be provided on eClass during the Term.
Grade Evaluation:
Grades will be assigned in percentages and will be converted to letter grades based on the below table. Your final grades will be calculated in accordance with University of Alberta letter grading system and will reflect your performance in relation to the rest of the class.
Adjustments will be applied as necessary so that student’s demonstrated performance reflects the appropriate letter grade as specified by Calendar § 23.4(4).
Components of Course Grade:
Letter Approximate % Pts Descriptor
A+ 92 – 100% 4.0
Excellent
A 88 – 91.99% 4.0
A- 84 – 87.99% 3.7
B+ 78 – 83.99% 3.3
Good
B 74 – 77.99% 3.0
B- 70 – 73.99% 2.7
C+ 65 - 69.99% 2.3
Satisfactory
C 60 – 64.99% 2.0
C- 55 – 59.99% 1.7
D+ 53 – 54.99% 1.3 Poor
D 50 – 52.99% 1.0 Minimal Pass
F or F4 0 – 49.99% 0 Failure
Evaluation Weighting Due Date
**There is no possibility of a reexamination in this course because the final exam weight is less than 40%. WARNING: Students must verify this date on BearTracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted
Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
Deferred exam dates (Important, read information under missed term exams about situations for which a deferred exam may be granted):
Midterm Exam: Thur November 7, 2019 9:00 AM Final Exam: Fri January 3, 2020 9:00 AM
Deferral of term work is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of Facts to gain a deferral is a
serious breach of the Code of Student Behaviour.
Format of Exams:
Examinations will consist of both short-answer and multiple choice questions.
Missed Assignments and Term Exams:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of
potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within 2 days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for
addressing course components missed as a result, consult §23.3(1) and §23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences may result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed in or completed as a result.
For an excused absence where the cause is religious belief, a student must contact the instructor(s) within two weeks of the start of Fall or Winter classes to request
accommodation for the term (including the final exam, where relevant). Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request.
A student who cannot write a term examination or complete a term assignment due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or other compelling reasons can apply for a deferred examination (in the case of a missed term examination) or an extension of the time to complete an assignment (in the case of a missed term assignment). In all cases, instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the reason for the absence at their discretion.
Weekly assignments/
learning exercises 30%
due date will be announced during the lecture. There will be approximately 10
assignments in total
Midterm Exam 35% Thursday Oct 24, 2019
Final Exam 35%* Set by registrar**
******All applications for a deferral must be made in writing to the instructor. The deadlines for applying for deferral of term work will follow the policy in the University Calendar 23.3. To apply for deferral of a term exam, students must provide a statutory declaration. To apply for a deferral of term work (e.g., assignments, and other non-
examination work), a statutory declaration is not required, however, the student must state the reason for the deferral in their written request. As per Calendar section 23.3
“Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements” and deferrals will not be granted in these situations. In these situations, a student has the option of handing in the assignment at an earlier date.
To apply for an excused absence where the cause is incapacitating mental and/or physical illness and most other cases including severe domestic affliction, a student must inform the instructor(s) within two working days following the scheduled date of the term work or term exam missed, or as soon as the student is able, having regard to the circumstances underlying the absence. http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?
catoid=6&navoid=806#Examinations_(Exams)
Deferral of term work is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of Facts to gain a deferral is a
serious breach of the Code of Student Behaviour.
Deferred Final Examination:
Students have access to their final exam schedule through Bear Tracks and on the Registrar’s website well in advance. Multiple exams and closely scheduled final exams is not a valid excuse for a deferral of one or more final exams. For information on how to apply for a deferred exam see “I Missed my Final Exam, Now What?”
Reexamination:
The final exam is weighted <40% and therefore there is no possibility of reexamination in this course. Reexaminations are governed by the University Calendar, §23.5.5 and Faculty of Science Regulations (Calendar section 192.5.3) for Science courses or Faculty of Arts Regulations (Calendar section 42.6.2) for Arts courses.
Policy for Late Assignments:
Late assignments will not be accepted and a mark of zero will be assigned for that assignment
(University Calendar 23.3) “The University recognizes that occasionally life events occur that require a student to miss term work, term examinations, or final examinations.
However, excused absences are not granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons such as incapacitating mental and/or physical illness, severe domestic affliction, or for circumstances as described in the University’s Discrimination, Harassment and Duty to Accommodate Policy (including religious belief). This policy is available on the University of Alberta Policies and Procedures Online (UAPPOL) website at https://
policiesonline.ualberta.ca. A multi-faith calendar is available at www.registrarsoffice.ualberta.ca/Calendar/Academic-Schedule.aspx.
Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements. When a student is absent without acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the work missed. Any student who applies for or obtains an excused absence by making false statements will be liable under the Code of Student Behaviour. Students should consult their Faculty for detailed information and requirements.
Failure to follow the policies outlined below may result in denial of a student’s request.
Students with concerns should see §23.4(3) Procedures for Registering Complaints about Marking, Grading, and Related Issues. Students should also review individual Faculty appeal policies posted on Faculty websites.”
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Academic Integrity: "The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect.
Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University."
All students should consult the Academic Integrity website. If you have any questions, ask your instructor.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process .
All forms of dishonesty are unacceptable at the University. Any offence will be reported to the Associate Dean of Science who will determine the disciplinary action to be taken.
Cheating, plagiarism and misrepresentation of facts are serious offences. Anyone who engages in these practices will receive at minimum a grade of zero for the exam or paper in question and no opportunity will be given to replace the grade or redistribute the
weights. As well, in the Faculty of Arts the sanction for cheating on any examination will include a disciplinary failing grade (NO EXCEPTIONS) and senior students should expect a period of suspension or expulsion from the University of Alberta.
In this course, student are not permitted to collaborate on assignments. All work that you submit for evaluation should be your own work. Prior to the first assignment, all students should read the Appropriate Collaboration link on the Office of Student Judicial Affairs website (http://www.osja.ualberta.ca/Students/AppropriateCollaboration.aspx)
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student that has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of
consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process.
Exams: Your student photo I.D. is required at exams to verify your identity. Students will not be allowed to begin an examination after it has been in progress for 30 minutes.
Students must remain in the exam room until at least 30 minutes has elapsed. No outside materials are permitted unless explicitly stated by the instructor - each exam will indicate whether outside materials are permitted. Electronic equipment cannot be brought into examination rooms and hats should not be worn. All students who need to use the washroom will be asked to remove their coat and turn out their pockets prior to leaving and entering the room.
Students using unauthorized materials (including cell phones) during an examination will receive a zero on the examination and may face charges under The Code of Student Behaviour.
Cell Phones: Cell phones are to be turned off during lectures, labs and seminars. Cell phones are not to be brought to exams or must be left at the front of the room (or in a location approved by the Instructor). At no point during the examination are students permitted to have a cell phone on their person.
Learning and Work Environment: The Department of Psychology is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The Department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to:
• Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern, or
• If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is a concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the instructor, or in cases of dispute with the instructor, with the Chair of the Department.
For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/Human-Resources.aspx.
Students Eligible for Accessibility-Related Accommodations (students registered with Specialized Support & Disability Services - SSDS): Eligible students have both rights and responsibilities with regard to accessibility-related accommodations.
Consequently, scheduling exam accommodations in accordance with SSDS deadlines and procedures is essential. Please note adherence to procedures and deadlines is required for
U of A to provide accommodations. Contact SSDS (www.ssds.ualberta.ca) for further information.
Student Success Centre: Students who require additional help in developing strategies for better time management, study skills or examination skills should contact the Student Success Centre (2-300 Students’ Union Building).
Policy about course outlines can be found in §23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
Recording and/or Distribution of Course Materials:
Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Student Resources:
The best all-purpose website for student services is: https://www.ualberta.ca/current- students.
Accessibility Resources: (1 – 80 SUB)
The University of Alberta is committed to creating work and learning communities that inspire and enable all people to reach their full potential. Accessibility Resources promotes an accessible, inclusive, and universally designed environment. For general information to register for services visit the Accessibility Resources webpage.
The Academic Success Centre: (1-80 SUB)
The Academic Success Centre offers a variety of workshops on effective study and exam strategies. There are in-person and online sessions available for a modest fee.
The Centre for Writers: (1-42 Assiniboia Hall)
The Centre for Writers offers free one-on-one writing support to students, faculty, and staff. Students can request consultation for a writing project at any stage of development. Instructors can request class visits and presentations.
Health and Wellness Support: There are many health and community services available to current students. For more information visit the Health and Wellness Support webpage.
Office of the Student Ombuds:
The Office of the Student Ombuds offers confidential interviews, advice and support to students facing academic, discipline, interpersonal and financial difficulties.
Learning and working environment:
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
Disclaimer:
Any typographical errors in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be
announced in class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
COPYRIGHT: Dr. C. Gagné, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta (2019)
