Course Proposals

Course Name:Psychology of Language 
Course Prefix: PSY
Course Number: 3450
             Submitted by (Name & E-Mail):  Aaron Ashley, aaronashley@weber.edu

Current Date:  11/10/2011
College: Social & Behavioral Sciences
Department:   Psychology                              
From Term: Spring  2013 

Substantive

new 

Current Course Subject N/A
Current Course Number

New/Revised Course Information:

Subject:  PSY            

Course Number: 3450

 Check all that apply:
    This is for courses already approved for gen ed.
    Use a different form for proposing a new gen ed designation.
DV  CA  HU  LS  PS  SS 
EN  AI  QL  TA  TB  TC  TD  TE

Course Title: Psychology of Language

Abbreviated Course Title: Psychology of Language

Course Type:  LEC

Credit Hours:  3.0  or if variable hours:    to

Contact Hours: Lecture 3.0  Lab    Other

Repeat Information:  Limit 0   Max Hrs 0 

Grading Mode:  standard

This course is/will be: a required course in a major program
a required course in a minor program
a required course in a 1- or 2- year program
elective

Prerequisites/Co-requisites:

PSY 1010 (Introduction to Psychology) OR ENG 3010 (Introduction to Linguistics)OR Permission of Instructor

Course description (exactly as it will appear in the catalog, including prerequisites):

This course will provide a comprehensive overview of psycholinguistics. It will focus on the cognitive and social aspects of language production and comprehension in both spoken and written language. Prerequisites: PSY 1010 (Introduction to Psychology) OR ENG 3010 (Introduction to Linguistics)OR Permission of Instructor. This course can be applied to the PSYCH Major, PSYCH Minor, or Linguistics Minor. However, the course cannot be used to satisify a requirement in more than one of these areas.

Justification for the new course or for changes to an existing course. (Note: Justification should emphasize academic rationale for the change or new course. This is particularly important for courses requesting upper-division status.)

Language is relevant and important to all human endeavors. As such, the proposed course will be beneficial and of interest to all disciplines. This course will provide students with the opportunity to investigate language from a psychological science perspective. The course will better provide students with an understanding of the cognitive processes associated with language production and comprehension. Additionally, it will provide students with an understanding of the social factors that influence the way we produce and comprehend language in certain ways, and how our production and comprehension changes as a function of the social environment. Given the scope and topics of this course, students will be able to use the information learned in this class to more effectively communicate their ideas as well as better understanding why people express themselves in the way they do.
The Psychology of Language course will serve as an upper-division elective for either Psychology majors or minors, and will also serve as an elective for the Linguistics minor. Although the course will serve as an elective for both the Psychology and Linguistics curriculum, it will not be allowed to be used for both (i.e., double-dipping).

INFORMATION PAGE
for substantive proposals only

1. Did this course receive unanimous approval within the Department?

true

If not, what are the major concerns raised by the opponents?

2. If this is a new course proposal, could you achieve the desired results by revising an existing course within your department or by requiring an existing course in another department?

No, although some, a small proportion, of the topics covered in this class are also covered briefly in other psychology courses (e.g., Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, Biopsychology, Cognition) the amount of coverage given to any of the particular topics is much less (both quantitatively and qualitatively)than will will be covered in this course.

3. How will the proposed course differ from similar offerings by other departments? Comment on any subject overlap between this course and topics generally taught by other departments, even if no similar courses are currently offered by the other departments. Explain any effects that this proposal will have on program requirements or enrollments in other department. Please forward letters (email communication is sufficient) from all departments that you have identified above stating their support or opposition to the proposed course.

No other course offered in the Psychology Department or the university as a whole focuses on the cognitive processes associated with language production and comprehension.

4. Is this course required for certification/accreditation of a program?

no

If so, a statement to that effect should appear in the justification and supporting documents should accompany this form.

5. For course proposals, e-mail a syllabus to Faculty Senate which should be sufficiently detailed that the committees can determine that the course is at the appropriate level and matches the description. There should be an indication of the amount and type of outside activity required in the course (projects, research papers, homework, etc.).