Welcome!
Welcome to Neurolinguistics! The Fall 2024 course information, syllabus, and schedule are below. Course materials for previous semesters are archived here.
Course Description: Neurolinguistics is a seminar on language and the brain. For the first few weeks, you will build a foundation of knowledge, first on how brains work (neurons, networks, and anatomy) and later on the methods researchers use to study language in the brain. The remainder of the course will explore the literature on different topics in language and the brain, including various levels of linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax), acquisition, evolution, signed languages, and more.
Prerequisites: This course is open to all graduate students and upper-level undergraduates. No specific background in neuroscience or linguistics is necessary to participate in the course
Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Katie Schuler
Seminars: Thursday at 1:45pm in TBD
Office hours: The linguistics department is on the 3rd floor of the C-wing at 3401 Walnut street, between Franklin’s Table and Modern Eye.
- Katie: TBD on Zoom or in ling dept
Reading prep: Each week, please prepare for the discussion by completing the assigned reading. As you read, you can ask questions or start discussing the paper in our reading annotation tool.
Discussion leader: Several times throughout the semester (but not every week), you will serve as discussion leader for a paper with one or two other students. As discussion leader, you’ll be responsible for presenting the paper, including summarizing (motivation, research questions, approach, and findings) and leading a discussion of the work.
Lit Review: You will select a topic of interest (within the bounds of language and the brain) and write a formal literature review paper. There are a few checkpoints leading up to this final paper to help you make progress.
Grading:
- 60% discussion leader
- 40% lit review
- Letter grade minimums: 97% A+, 93% A, 90% A-, 87% B+, 84% B, 80% B-, 77% C+, 74% C, 70% C-, 67% D+, 64% D, 61% D-
Resources: In addition to this website, we will use the following:
- canvas - for posting grades
- ed discussion - for announcements and questions
- perusall for collaborative readings and peer review
Other resources: Weingarten Center for academic support and tutoring. Wellness at Penn for health and wellbeing.