University of Kentucky
College of Health Sciences
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
Division of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

Course Number/Title: CD 410 Language Development Through the Lifespan

Course Credit: 3 SH

Course Placement:Spring

Course Time/Place: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 -  1:45 PM, CTW Room 403

Course Faculty:Gilson J. Capilouto, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, ATP
900 S. Limestone, Room 124G
323-1100 ext 80555

Office Hours:Tuesdays,  10 am -12 pm
Or by appointment (not available on Wednesday)
Email: gjcapi2@uky.edu



Course Description

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how language is acquired and the course of language development from infancy through advanced age.  The normal progression of phonological, semantic, morphological and pragmatic development will be emphasized. Additionally, students will be exposed to theories about how language is acquired, the relationship between language and literacy, the changes in language that occur as a function of aging and cultural issues related to language acquisition and development.  Students will be exposed to current research in the area of child language development.  Readings, activities, projects and examinations will be used to establish a strong foundation for graduate coursework in childhood and adolescent language disorders as well as adult language impairments.

Please note that CD 410 is a writing-intensive (W) course approved to fulfill the upper tier of the graduation writing requirement (GWR). To receive W credit for this course, you must have successfully completed the first-year writing requirement (ENG 104 or its equivalent) and have completed at least 30 hours of coursework.



Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the successful student will:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the terminology used in the study of language development.
  2. Summarize the sequence of language development across the life span (infancy, preschool, school-aged, adolescence, aged) for all domains (pragmatics, semantics, phonology, syntax and morphology). 
  3. Compare and contrast theoretical approaches to language development and hypothesize about the impact of each on treatment of language disorders. 
  4. Evaluate and interpret language samples from starting to talk through having a conversation. 
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural issues in language development. 
  6. Describe the relationship between language and literacy development.
  7. Practice analyzing and interpreting language samples. 
  8. Write a paper that is essentially free of mechanical errors (grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax) and awkwardness, using a style that is appropriate to the purpose and audience.
  9. Demonstrate an ability to discover, evaluate, and clearly present evidence in support of an argument in the subject area and utilize documentation that conforms to the formats and the citation conventions of the subject area (I.e. APA).
  10. Be aware that composing a successful text frequently takes multiple drafts, with varying degrees of focus on generating, revising, editing, and proofreading.
  11. Write a capable, interesting essay about a complex issue (discipline-specific) for a general university audience.


ASHA Standards and Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, given readings, independent application activities, examinations, and class discussion, the students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

ASHA Standard III-B. The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the basic human communication and swallowing processes, including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases.

In the area of DEVELOPMENTAL BASES, the student will be able to:

In the area of LINGUISTIC BASES, the student will be able to: In the area of CULTURAL BASES, the student will be able to:

Integration of Syllabus with UK Educator Preparation Unit Themes:

This course will address the four themes of the conceptual framework for the UK professional education unit:  research, reflection, learning, and leading.  Students will be given the opportunity to review, analyze, discuss, and apply research from diverse perspectives in education, including professional scholarship and practitioner inquiry, in order to reflect on their own practices as they study, observe, and practice in P-12 school and university classrooms.  Reflection will also be integrated into students’ learning opportunities through the production of written essays and analyses of observation and teaching experiences to help students take advantage of the analytical and problem-solving skills that comprise critical professional reflection on one’s own teaching. This course emphasizes the commitment of the professional education unit to assure that its graduates move into their professional lives equipped for life-long learning as educators who will be active in leading colleagues in their schools, districts, and professional organizations.  The ultimate goal in addressing these four themes is to produce teacher leaders who work together to improve student learning among diverse populations and improve education in Kentucky and beyond.

Integration of Syllabus with KERA Initiatives:

This course will provide students an opportunity to advance their knowledge and mastery of the “tools” associated with Kentucky education reform, including the Kentucky Learning Goals and Academic Expectations (LGAE), the Kentucky Program of Studies (POS), and the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS), which includes the Core Content for Assessment.  As students carry out projects and complete assignments that involve instructional activities for P-12 students in Kentucky schools, they will address one or more components of the KERA initiatives.

Integration of the Syllabus with the Themes of Diversity, Assessment, and Technology:

All UK professional education programs address and affirm the value of diversity in education, the use of technology to support all aspects of instructional programming, and the importance of attaining high levels of skill in assessing the outcomes of instruction.  This course will provide students an opportunity to demonstrate attention to these themes and reflect on the mechanisms that this course has provided to demonstrate improved skills in these areas.



Required Texts

Hulit, L. & Howard, M. (2006). Born to talk: An introduction to speech and language development (4th ed). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

American Psychological Association (2001).Publication Manual (5th ed.). Washington,  DC: American Psychological Association.

Additional readings as assigned.



Instructional Strategies

Lecture
Group Discussion
In-class Activities
Out-of-class Activities
Video Segments



Course Requirements

Blackboard and Email
Information pertaining to the course will be posted on BlackBoard (BB) as much as possible. If you are registered for the class then you are automatically linked to the course. You will need to check the course site at least twice daily.

Readings

Assigned readings are provided on the tentative course schedule.  My preference is that you complete the assigned readings PRIOR to the class so you can participate fully in class discussion and activities.  Readings will facilitate your understanding of class lectures and activities and will be used as one source for test questions.

Assignments

·Written Tests:

oYou must take and successfully complete three written tests to include multiple choice, true-false, definitions, short answer and analysis

oEach week you will be given a 10 point quiz covering the previous week’s lecture and readings

oPeriodically, you will be asked to complete language analysis activities such as advanced phonetic transcription or analysis of semantic relations in a language sample

oFor this project, you will be asked to analyze language samples from healthy, older adults (MLU, cohesion, Type Token Ratio, WPM, CIU, Main Event Analysis etc) and interpret the performance results (complete directions to follow) oYou will each be required to write a five page formal paper

oTopics have been developed by multiple CD faculty and focus on normal processes of communication development

oAfter you have reviewed the topics, send me an email with your first and second choices- students will be assigned to faculty based on topic and on a first come basis

oThe following draft and review process will be used:

§Week 3: outline and references due; sign up for conference with mentor

§Weeks 4 and 5 meet with mentor for feedback

§Week 8: First draft due to mentor

§Week 10: First draft returned with written comments from mentor

§Week 13: Final Draft Due

oPlease submit two copies of your final paper to the instructor. One copy will be graded by the instructor; the second copy will be used for SACS assessment and should be a clean copy, with only your social security number listed at the top of the page, with all other identifying information (your name, instructor name, and course and section number) removed.

All assignments must be completed within the designated time frame. There will be no exceptions.  An assignment will be considered late if it is turned in anytime after the regularly scheduled class period in which it is due.  Late assignments will be penalized 10 points per day.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all class sessions.  Please be respectful of your classmates and your instructor by arriving on time and remaining throughout the entire class session. Acceptable reasons for excused absences are listed in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, Section 5.2.4.2.  You are expected to contact the instructor PRIOR to class if you are unable to attend.  You are responsible for all material covered in the class and there will be no make-up for in class activities.  Please carefully review the Tentative Course Schedule and note the dates when tests and assignments are due.  If you see any conflict, you are asked to inform the instructor within the first two weeks of class.



Method of Evaluation and Grading System

To pass the course and fulfill the upper tier of the GWR, you must submit all formal writing assignments and earn a grade of C or better on each assignment. Any major assignment that receives a D or below must be revised to reflect competency and resubmitted. You may resubmit such assignments 1 time(s). If you fail to achieve a C grade on the final version of any major writing assignment, you will receive a failing grade for the course. Note that assignments or requirements other than the formal writing become a factor in the final determination of your course grade only if you have achieved a grade of C or higher on all formal writing assignments. Final grades will be determined using the relative values outlined below.

Tests (3) 50%
GWR20%
Language Project 20%
Quizzes/Analyses 10%
100%

The University Grading system will be used.

90-100 = A
80-  89 = B
70-  79 = C
60-  69 = D
<60      = E


Academic Integrity

Part II of Student Rights and Responsibilities (available online at http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/ part2.html) states that all academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by students to their instructors or other academic supervisors, is expected to be the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. In cases where students feel unsure about a question of plagiarism involving their work, they are obliged to consult their instructors on the matter before submission. When students submit work purporting to be their own, but which in any way borrows ideas, organization, wording or anything else from another source without appropriate acknowledgment of the fact, the students are guilty of plagiarism. Plagiarism includes reproducing someone else’s work, whether it be published article, chapter of a book, a paper from a friend or some file, or whatever. Plagiarism also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the work which a student submits as his/her own, whoever that other person may be. Students may discuss assignments among themselves or with an instructor or tutor, but when the actual work is done, it must be done by the student, and the student alone. When a student’s assignment involves research in outside sources or information, the student must carefully acknowledge exactly what, where and how he/she has employed them. If the words of someone else are used, the student must put quotation marks around the passage in question and add an appropriate indication of its origin. Making simple changes while leaving the organization, content and phraseology intact is plagiaristic. However, nothing in these Rules shall apply to those ideas which are so generally and freely circulated as to be a part of the public domain. (Section 6.3.1). The minimum penalty for an academic offense, such as cheating or plagiarism, is an E in the course (Section 6.4.1).

Withdrawals and Incompletes

The last day to withdraw from the course is at the end of the ninth week.  No withdrawals will be signed after that date.

It is the student's responsibility to properly process withdrawals.  Students who fail to process withdrawals or who process them after the time that grade report sheets are printed, will receive a grade of E on the official grade sheet.  To correctly process a withdrawal the student must obtain the signature of Dr. Capilouto, obtain the signature of the student's advisor, and take the withdrawal form to the Registrar's office.

Incomplete (I) grades will be given only in extenuating circumstances and never as a replacement for a failing or substandard grade.  Any student requesting an incomplete grade must see the course instructor for approval and for additional rules governing incomplete grades.


Inclement Weather

Students should be aware of the following sources of information in the event of inclement weather or other problems which might cause the University to close.  Remember, if the University is open, students are expected to be in attendance and all tests will be given.  If the University is closed on a test day, expect the test to be given on the next class day.

The cancellation or delay of classes’ announcements will normally be made by 6:00 a.m. through the local media. The latest information will be available on the  University of  Kentucky INFOLINE at 257-5684, University of Kentucky TV Cable Channel 16, and WUKY or the UK Web site at  www.uky.edu.


Accommodations

If you need to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the UK Disability Resource Center ( http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/DisabilityResourceCenter/).  If you have documentation from disabled student services (issued by any higher education institution) indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to Dr. Capilouto as soon as possible so we can discuss your needs for this class.