Application deadline

Type of course

This course is mandatory for students in the MA programme in English Acquisition and Multilingualism and elective for students in the MA programme in teacher education year 8-13 (lektorutdanninga, studieretning engelsk, jf. progresjonskrav for år 4) and students in the MA programme in Theoretical Linguistics.

This course may be taken as a single course by students who qualify for admission to the MA programme in English Acquisition and Multilingualism.

Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or equivalent qualification, in English language, or a degree combining English language and literature (minimum 80 ECTS in English). Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand: An average grade equivalent to C or better (in the Norwegian grading system) is required. Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in countries other than the above mentioned region/countries: An average grade equivalent to B or better (in the Norwegian grading system) is required.

Application code: 9371 - Enkeltemner på masternivå (Nordic applicants).

Course content

Objectives of the course

Knowledge

The student has knowledge of:

• typical language development (with a focus on morphology and syntax) in mono and bilingual children
• the main theories of first language acquisition and recent research findings
• research methods used to investigate first language acquisition

Skills

The student is:

• able to work with and analyze linguistic data from child language corpora, e.g. CHILDES
• able to discuss contemporary first language acquisition research both orally and in writing
• able to develop and express their ideas clearly in the form of an oral presentation
• able to cooperate with fellow students and carry out independent project work

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Lectures, exercises, seminars, and project work.

Quality assurance: All courses will be evaluated once during the period of the study program. The board of the program decides which courses will be evaluated by students and teacher each year.  

Assessment

The following coursework requirements must be completed and approved in order to take the final exam: One short presentation in the first half of the semester based on the project work involving empirical investigation of linguistic data from child language corpora. A longer presentation at the end of the semester. The final presentation should be connected to the term paper. 

Assessment method: Term paper (4000-5000 words).

Performance in the course will be assessed on an A-F grades scale. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed. A re-sit examination is offered in the beginning of the following semester in the event of an F grade. A re-scheduled examination is offered in the beginning of the following semester for students who were unable to take the final exam due to illness or other exceptional circumstances. The deadline to register for a re-sit/re-scheduled examination in StudentWeb is 15 January (for courses offered in the autumn semester) and 15 August (for courses offered in the spring semester). In the event of a re-sit/re-scheduled examination, the student is allowed to submit a revised version of his/her term paper within a given deadline. The exam date for the re-sit/re-scheduled examination will be published in StudentWeb approximately 2 weeks after the deadline for registration.

For questions about exams at UiT, please consult this web page.

Recommended reading/syllabus