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LING30060

Academic Year 2026/2027

First Language Acquisition (LING30060)

Subject:
Linguistics
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Jamal Ouhalla
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module examines how children acquire their first (native) language focusing on the following topics: the rule-based acquisition of inflectional morphemes; the U-shaped development of irregular verbs; the uniform sequential development of function morphemes and words; the development of sentence structure; the acquisition of passive sentences; the acquisition of questions; the late acquisition of pronouns relative to reflexives; selected aspects of bilingual acquisition.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of the module, students are expected to
--analyse acquisition data relative to data from adult language (pattern recognition and problem-solving);
--represent acquisition data in the form of tree-diagrams;
--appreciate and critically evaluate competing hypotheses and models of first language acquisition;
--appreciate and evaluate the implications of child language for existing models of language (theory construction).

Indicative Module Content:

The rule-based acquisition of inflectional morphemes
The U-shaped development of irregular verbs
The development of sentence structure
The development of subjects
The acquisition of questions
The acquisition of passive sentences
The late acquisition of pronouns relative to reflexives

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Not addressed

Normative

The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Not addressed

Anticipatory

The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Not addressed

Digital Literacy and Judgement

The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Not addressed

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24

Autonomous Student Learning

76

Total

100


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module presupposes familiarity with techniques of linguistic analysis developed in the pre-requisite modules.
Assessment takes the form of take-home essays on prescribed topics.

AI policy: NO AI: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your
core knowledge and skills. The use of AI will be considered a violation of academic
integrity.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Students must have knowledge of Syntax up to the level of Syntax II. International students are advised to ensure they have equivalent pre-requisite knowledge.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
LING20010 - Syntax 2


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): 1200 words essay Week 6 Graded No
40
No
Assignment(Including Essay): 1600 words essay Week 12 Graded No
60
No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on Week 6 essay provided in Weeks 8-9

Title: Language Acquisition: The Growth of Grammar
Editions: First (2002) and Second (2016)
Author: Maria Teresa Guasti
Publisher: MIT Press

Title: Syntactic Theory and the Acquisition of English Syntax
Date: 1990
Author: Andrew Radford
Publisher: Blackwell

Title: Words and Rules
Year: 1999/2011
Author: Steven Pinker
Publisher: Harper Perennial

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 13:00 - 13:50