Course details

8.3475

Language and thought

 S
WS 2020 Vinicius Macuch Silva ONLINE
2h/wk
4 ECTS 		B.Sc modules:
CS-BWP-CL - (Computational) Linguistics
CS-BWP-CNP - Cognitive (Neuro-)Psychology
KOGW-WPM-CL - Computational Linguistics
KOGW-WPM-KNP - Cognitive (Neuro-)Psychology
M.Sc modules:
CC-MP-IDC - Interdisciplinary Course
CC-MWP-CL - Computational Linguistics
CS-MP-IDC - Interdisciplinary Course
CS-MWP-CL - (Computational) Linguistics
CS-MWP-CNP - Cognitive (Neuro-)Psychology

Doctorate program 		Fri: 10-12

Prerequisites: Any foundational course in cognitive science with a focus on language and/ or courses with a focus on topics such as spatial/ temporal reasoning, social cognition, and conceptual knowledge. In this course we will cover both foundational issues as well as current discussions in the study of language and its interrelation to human thinking. The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of some of the questions being tackled across scientific disciplines with regard to the usage, organization, and evolution of language. We will approach this by familiarizing ourselves with the view of language as a complex adaptive system, one which requires multiple levels of explanation and which draws on sources of evidence as varied as studies on animal communication and cultural evolution. We will explore, among other things, issues to do with linguistic diversity, non-linguistic cognition and non-verbal behavior, and the relation between form and meaning in language. This course covers primarily theoretical content though students will also be introduced to some of the empirical trends in the various research fields covered in class.