CLA PS 828 Seminar in Psycholinguistics Special Topic:
Language and Spatial Cognition
Instructors
Room 127, Psychology Dept. Office Hours: Monday 3-4, Thurs
3-4. 353-2956. Messages: 353-2980.
Annette Herskovits, Visiting Scholar, Applied Linguistics. hersko@bambam.wellesley.edu
Course Overview
A key issue in cognitive science is how information from
different modalities connect.
Of particular interest is how the representations for language
production and comprehension map onto non-linguistic systems. How
can talk about what we see? PS
828 will examine this topic in the context of two specific questions:
- how spatial cognition shapes the semantics and use of spatial
terms;
- how language interfaces with vision and spatial cognition
in the production and comprehension of spatial expressions.
Topics
- The semantics of spatial terms (spatial
prepositions; motion verbs, and dimensional adjectives)
- General
properties of semantic/conceptual structure
- Vision and spatial cognition
- The connections between spatial language and spatial
cognition.
Prerequisites
Graduate standing, with previous
courses or exposure to psycholinguistics, linguistics, cognitive
psychology and artificial intelligence.
Requirements
Weekly
one-page commentary on assigned readings, and one class presentation.
A presentation may be done jointly with another student, but both
students must discuss the joint presentation with the instructors.
Meeting Time: Thursday, 11 to 1:30 pm
First day of class will be September 7. Location of class is
Psychology Dept. Room 155Psychology Dept. Room 155.
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