What does it mean to "learn" words and to store information in our long-term memory system? How can we increase the efficiency of language learning and vocabulary acquisition during the language learning process? These are two highly significant questions that psycholinguists try to answer by investigating the characteristics and organization of our brain and its highly complex and adaptive system. Many researchers and psycholinguists assume that our brain consists of a “mental lexicon”. This “human word store” (Surkamp & Viebrock, 2018) allows us to store, organize, and retrieve conceptual, semantic, and phonological information about systematically linked lexical items in our brain.
In this context, this course will deal with the key concepts, models, and theories of the mental lexicon and vocabulary acquisition by focusing on the following aspects and objectives.
Learning objectives:- Learn about the key concepts and characteristics of the mental lexicon
- Know several popular models and theories about the organization of the mental lexicon, including word stores and lexical entries as well as their hierarchy and relationships
- Learn about crucial theories and models that deal with deep learning processes
- Understand the role of errors and mistakes in the language learning process and what can be learned about the organization of the mental lexicon through error production
- Be able to create vocabulary teaching and learning activities by making use of the receptive and productive language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) through meaning-focused input and output
- Be able to discuss and implement teaching and learning strategies for vocabulary acquisition in the EFL classroom
- Understand the impact and the role of social and cultural aspects in the context of the mental lexicon
- Be able to discuss, evaluate, and make use of digital tools for vocabulary acquisition
The course will address and discuss the topics of the mental lexicon and vocabulary acquisition through a mostly pedagogical perspective. Its main purpose is to identify and implement effective vocabulary learning and teaching activities and strategies in the context of the EFL classroom.
Studien- & Prüfungsleistung:
The course work ("Studienleistung") will consist of active participation, (group) presentations, and four assignments that have to be completed throughout the semester.
The "Prüfungsleistung" will be a term paper.