Courses / Modules / LING3001 Second Language Acquisition

Second Language Acquisition

When you'll study it: Semester 1
CATS points: 15
ECTS points: 7.5
Level: Level 6
Module lead: Roumyana Slabakova
Academic year: 2025-26

Module overview

This module provides an insight into the cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of language. Different theories of first and second language acquisition will be examined and critically assessed in the light of empirical evidence. Various factors affecting this acquisition, such as individual linguistic experience, language exposure, cognitive mechanisms and principles and Universal Grammar, will be discussed with a view of understanding how they affect the acquisition process.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

The main characteristics and stages of L2 development,
Key constructs in SLA theory,
Factors affecting the language acquisition process.
A range of current theoretical perspectives on language learning, and indicative supporting evidence for them,

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Communicate your ideas clearly both in writing and in oral communication,
Analyse datasets systematically and extract results,
Plan and organize your independent learning, using initiative and efficiency.
Make use of libraries, corpora and online resources to access relevant information,
Formulate a research question and implement a project to investigate it,

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Relate knowledge of theoretical concepts in linguistics to empirical data,
Apply knowledge, understanding and critical analysis to theoretical concepts and proposals.
Plan and implement an empirical investigation using linguistic data;
Describe and critically evaluate a range of language acquisition theories;