The course introduces you to language acquisition and to aspects of the acquisition of language in a Creole context. We look at 'The Big Question' - the solution to the puzzle of how it is that children are able to acquire a language in such a short time, despite the errors and deficiencies in the speech they hear around them. For each component of language investigated, a linguistic description of the lexifier as well as the adult target Creole forms is presented, and a determination of similarities to and deviances from these forms is made. This provides a basis for discussions of how knowledge of this kind can inform the language classroom.
- Lecturer: Terri-Ann Barrett