Development of Language Networks

  1. Describe evidence for the following claims:
    1. Children’s language networks develop gradually
    2. Language networks are profoundly altered in Deaf people who were not exposed to a signed language in early childhood
    3. In survivors of left-hemisphere perinatal stroke, language is processed by the brain regions in the right hemisphere that correspond to the typical language areas in the left hemisphere
    4. In multilinguals, the neural organization of language is affected by both (i) the age at which the person began acquiring the language, and (2) the person’s proficiency level in the language
  2. Interpret new evidence that bears on the following issues:
    1. language networks in infancy
    2. language networks in multilinguals
Date Topic Due
Tues 10/20 Children’s language networks Newport & Getz 2025
Thurs 10/22 Critical periods & language deprivation
Friday 10/23
Tues 10/27 Perinatal stroke Newport et al. 2022
Thurs 10/29 Bilingualism TBD
Friday 10/30
Tues 11/3 Bilingualism
Thurs 11/5 Exam #3
Explanation of symbols and color-coding
Lecture slides are linked here. I will make them available the morning of the lecture.
This is a general background reading. Read this the usual way people read things, from start to finish.
This is a scientific article (primary literature). Do not try to read this from start to finish. Instead, read/survey the article using this process. Fill out a summary sheet for your own notes (summary sheets will not be graded, but they will be really helpful when you are studying for the exams). Come prepared to work in small groups to further understand the paper.
Something is due for your group project. See Controversy Investigation for more information.
Some other thing is due.
There’s an exam in class on this day. Remember to bring hard copies of any primary literature that we covered during this unit. You’re allowed to use this during the exam.

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