Multilingualism and Cognition
Course Description
Summary
How are language and thought connected, and does speaking multiple languages affect these connections? Most people have had the experience of struggling to come up with a particular word or phrase, sometimes recalling it after a substantial delay. This course will unpack the mental processes involved in that experience and explore the ways that cognitive psychology -- the study of thought -- has been broadened by investigations of monolingual and multilingual language use.
Through course readings, discussions, activities, and presentations, you will extend your knowledge of the learning outcomes and more.
Learning Outcomes
- core cognitive processes relating to knowledge and language such as lexical retrieval,
- structural and functional brain networks involved in those processes,
- cognitive techniques such as priming and eye tracking,
- scientific definitions of varieties of bilingualism/multilingualism,
- differing interpretations of linguistic determinism, and
- policy debates in the US regarding bilingual education.
Prerequisites
Permission of instructor.
Please contact the faculty member : annegilman@bennington.edu
Cross List
- Cultural Studies and Languages
- Linguistics