UNIVERSITY OF KENT
Module Specification
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The title of the module:
Advanced issues in bilingualism and foreign language learning (SP849)
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The School which will be responsible for management of the module:
Psychology
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The Start Date of the Module:
Tuesday 9 January 2007
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The number of students expected to take the module:
1-10
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Modules to be withdrawn on the introduction of this proposed module and
consultation with other relevant Schools and Faculties regarding the withdrawal:
N/A
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The level of the module (eg Certificate [C], Intermediate [I], Honours [H] or
Postgraduate [M]):
Postgraduate [M] (FHEQ Level: 7)
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The number of credits which the module represents:
20 credits (10 ECTS)
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Which term(s) the module is to be taught in (or other teaching pattern):
Spring Term
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Prerequisite and co-requisite modules:
None
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The programmes of study to which the module contributes:
MSc in Cognitive Psychology/Neuropsychology
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The intended subject specific learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their
relationship to programme learning outcomes:
 Knowledge and understanding of core concepts, theories, methodology, and findings in the
study of bilingualism and foreign language learning.
 Critical reflection when considering the diversity of perspectives in the study of bilingualism.
 Critical evaluation of theoretical and empirical issues in the study of bilingualism and foreign
language learning.
 Ability to evaluate through written analysis and interpretation the application of theory and
empirical findings from the study of bilingualism to real life situations (i.e. second language
learning).
For MSc in Cognitive Psychology/ Neuropsychology students, these outcomes relate to the
following programme learning outcomes:
 Foster the intellectual development of postgraduate students by providing them with
specialised knowledge of a range of theoretical approaches to psychology of bilingualism and
methodological expertise in order that they should be well equipped to make their own
original contribution to psychological knowledge.
 Provide teaching that is informed by current research and scholarship and that requires
students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge.
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The intended generic learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to
programme learning outcomes:
1. Literacy, numeracy and writing skills to present, interpret and discuss concepts, theories, and
findings based on the use of the relevant literature.
2. Knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the diversity of theoretical and empirical
approaches in psychology.
3. Critically evaluating the quality of theories, methods and findings in published research.
4. Ability to express well-founded opinions, argue rationally, develop new perspectives and
engage in critical thinking both orally and in written form.
5. Acquire good listening skills, show an ability to work with others, and respond to other
people’s viewpoints.
The intended generic learning outcomes relate to the following learning outcome of the relevant
programme:
6. Help students develop research skills and transferable skills in preparation for entering
academic or other careers as social psychologists.
7. Help students develop general critical, analytic and problem solving skills that can be applied in
a wide range of settings.
8. Develop general research skills and transferable skills as preparation for postgraduate students
to enter academic or other careers as research psychologists
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A synopsis of the curriculum:
The focus of this module is on language use in bilinguals (individuals fluent in more than one
language), and the process of becoming a bilingual through learning a foreign language. Main
questions that will be addressed in the module are:
(1) Does a bilingual speaker represent/store each language separately?
(2) What effect does age of second language acquisition (i.e., childhood or adulthood) and
the context in which the languages are acquired (i.e., family or school) have on the way it is
represented in the cognitive system?
(3) Changes in the cognitive processes and mental representations of languages during acquisition
of a new language.
(4) Emotional correlates of using the first and/or second language.
Extended Essay/Dissertation titles
1. Critically evaluate the evidence for Revised Hierarchical Model
2. Critically evaluate the evidence for Bilingual Interactive Activation model
3. Representation of meaning in bilingual memory
4. Neural correlates of bilingualism
5. Emotional expression in the second language
6. DYO (define your own) title
If there was a topic, covered during the module, that students have found very interesting
but is not included in the essay titles above they will be allowed to formulate their own essay
title and write about it provided that it has been approved by module convenor.
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Indicative Reading List:
Kroll, J. F., & Stewart, E. (1994). Category interference in translation and picture naming - evidence
for asymmetric connections between bilingual memory representations. Journal of Memory and
Language, 33, 149-174.
Cheung, H., & Chen, H. C. (1998). Lexical and conceptual processing in Chinese - English bilinguals:
Further evidence for asymmetry. Memory & Cognition, 26, 1002-1013.
DeGroot, A. M. B. (1992). Determinants of word translation. Journal of Experimental Psychology:
Learning Memory and Cognition, 18, 1001-1018.
Jiang, N., & Forster, K. I. (2001). Cross-language priming asymmetries in lexical decision and
episodic recognition. Journal of Memory and Language, 44, 32-51.
Dijkstra, T., & Van Heuven, W. J. B. (2002). The architecture of the bilingual word recognition
system: From identification to decision. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 5, 175-197.
Pavlenko, A. (1999). New approaches to concepts in bilingual memory. Bilingualism: Language and
Cognition, 2, 209-230.
Fabbro, F. (2001). The bilingual brain: Cerebral representation of languages. Brain and Language, 79,
211-222.
Grosjean, F., Li, P., Munte, T. F., & Rodriguez Fornells, A. (2003). Imaging bilinguals: When the
neurosciences meet the language sciences. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 6, 159-165.
Grosjean, F. (1998). Studying bilinguals: Methodological and conceptual issues. Bilingualism: Language
and Cognition, 1, 131-149.
Marian, V., & Kaushanskaya, M. (2004). Self-construal and emotion in bicultural bilinguals. Journal of
Memory and Language, 51, 190-201.
Schrauf, R. W., & Rubin, D. C. (2000). Internal languages of retrieval: The bilingual encoding of
memories for the personal past. Memory & Cognition, 28, 616-623.
Altarriba, J., & Santiago-Rivera, A. L. (1994). Current perspectives on using linguistic and culturalfactors in counseling the hispanic client. Professional Psychology - Research and Practice, 25, 388-397.
Santiago-Rivera, A. L., & Altarriba, J. (2002). The role of language in therapy with the spanishenglish bilingual client. Professional Psychology - Research and Practice, 33, 30-38.
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Learning and Teaching Methods, including the nature and number of contact hours
and the total study hours which will be expected of students, and how these relate to
achievement of the intended learning outcomes:
The module will be run using seminar/workshop format as the principle teaching method. The
module will be organised around 12 two-hour weekly seminars accompanied by 3 additional 1 hour
workshop with focus on research methods (i.e. week 16, week 20, and week 23). Participation in
seminars and workshops, together with private study, will result in a total of 200 hours of study.
Students will be provided with a full list of essential readings at the beginning of the module. The
readings will be divided into weekly seminar topics and students are all expected to have
attempted to read the essential text recommended for a given week.
All of the articles which are considered as essential reading for the module will be available for
downloaded from SPXXX folder on “ward”. It will be clearly indicated which readings will form the
basis for the seminar each week.
This seminar/workshop teaching format will ensure that students develop advanced skills for
reviewing empirical research (see both specific and generic learning outcomes) and will also
sharpen students’ oral presentation of such critical reasoning.
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Assessment methods and how these relate to testing achievement of the intended
learning outcomes:
All students will be assessed by 20% research proposal presented as seminar report and 80%
extended essay/dissertation.
Seminar report
Each student will be required to give one seminar presentations on a research proposal and submit
a proposal report. Proposal reports must be no longer than 1500 words and must be handed in
within 2 weeks of the presentation.
Dissertation
For the extended essay, students are to choose one of the essay titles provided at the end of this
document. Extended essays should first describe the central concepts of the essay question and
give a theoretical background, then provide a summary of key findings pertaining to the essay
question, and finally present an outlook on future research.
The dissertations must be no longer than 6000 words. Submission date for dissertations is noon on
the Monday following the last Friday of the Spring Term.
This mode of assessment is appropriate for assessing:
(a) Students’ understanding of cognitive processes in relation to bilingualism and foreign language
learning.
(b) Students’ written ability to reason critically about bilingualism and foreign language learning.
(c) Students’ written ability to communicate clearly findings and theoretical models of bilingualism
and foreign language learning.
(d) Students’ ability to understand the principles of sound research design in relation to bilingualism
and foreign language learning.
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Implications for learning resources, including staff, library, IT and space:
This course will be convened and taught by Dr Jelena Havelka. All of the materials outlined in this
proposal will be available on “ward” server. In terms of space we will require a room containing a
power point projector for the seminars to be run in over the spring term (2 hours per week).
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A statement confirming that, as far as can be reasonably anticipated, the
curriculum, learning and teaching methods and forms of assessment do not present
any non-justifiable disadvantage to students with disabilities:
As far as can reasonably be anticipated, there are no disadvantages in the curriculum, learning and
teaching methods, or other forms of assessment that disadvantage students with disabilities.
Statement by the Director of Learning and Teaching: "I confirm I have been consulted on the
above module proposal and have given advice on the correct procedures and required content of module
proposals"
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Director of Learning and Teaching
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Date
Statement by the Head of School: "I confirm that the School has approved the introduction of the
module and will be responsible for its resourcing"
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Head of School
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Date