85-421 Language and Thought Units: 9.0 Department: Psychology Prerequisites: 80-150 or 80-180 or 80-181 or 82-382 or 85-108 or 85-211 or 85-213 Cross-listed: 85-721 Related URLs: http://www.psy.cmu.edu/ This course allows the student to explore ways in which the mind shapes language and language shapes the mind. Why are humans the only species with a full linguistic system? Some of the questions to be explored are: What kinds of mental abilities allow the child to learn language? What are the cognitive abilities needed to support the production and comprehension of sentences in real time? How do these abilities differ between people? Are there universal limits on the ways in which languages differ? Where do these limitations come from cognition in general or the specific language facility? Why is it so hard to learn a second language? Are there important links between language change and cultural change that point to links between language and culture?

Discuss this course  Textbook prices  View FCE Results  View FCE Results Prior to Fall 2004  Check Availability   Popularity index Rank for this semester: #0 Rank in this department: #0   Students also scheduled 76-490 Discourse and Identity 65-402 Humanities Scholars Senior Research... 85-721 Language and Thought 76-386 Language & Culture 76-318 Communicating in the Global Marketp... 85-455 The Discovery of Spoken Language 76-420 Process of Reading and Writing 82-400 Russian Studies Topics 85-356 Music and Mind: The Cognitive Neuro... 70-366 Intellectual Property and E-Commerc...