CSD 311: Language Development in Children and Adolescents
The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders offers an undergraduate course in children's language development in an online format. The course is offered online during the Fall and Spring terms. CSD 311 will be cross-listed with an online section of LING 319: Child Language Acquisition (credit will not be given for both CSD 311 and LING 319).
CSD 311: Language Development in Children and Adolescents is an introduction to the study of the development of all aspects of language, from sounds to social interaction, from birth through adolescence. Students will build a strong foundation in the core areas of phonological, lexical and morphosyntactic acquisition. Students will also learn about children's emerging communicative competence, their continued language development in the school years, and how language development unfolds in bilingual children and in special populations of children. The course includes a review of theories and current research as well as practice with analysis of children's language.
This course meets the prerequisite in language acquisition for graduate programs in speech-language pathology, both at the University of Alberta and elsewhere.
CSD 311 was developed jointly by Dr. Phyllis Schneider, Professor Emerita in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Dr. Johanne Paradis, Professor in the Department of Linguistics. Dr. Schneider and Dr. Paradis have long experience teaching and child language development and are internationally recognized leaders in child language research.
Course format
Online lectures can be completed at your own pace. Online exercises and other activities are provided. Exams can be completed on campus at the University of Alberta or remotely.
How to register
- The course is available to students anywhere. University of Alberta students enroll for the course as usual through the Beartracks system.
- Students outside of the University of Alberta register through Open Studies - please see the Open Studies page for more information.
- If your prerequisite introductory linguistics course comes from another university, you are strongly advised to confirm that your linguistics background will satisfy the requirement before you put money down for Open Studies. The application fee cannot be recovered if you discover after the fact that you are not eligible to take the course.
- Know the registration deadlines. The last day for registration for Open Studies students for the Fall term is August 25.
- There are a limited number of spaces available for each term.
- If a minimum enrollment of 12 students is not met, the course may be cancelled.
- For information regarding fees or how to register, please contact Student Connect.
- This course is a "cost recovery" course with a set instructional fee. All students pay non-instructional fees (note that off campus online-only students can opt out of the health and dental plan)
Frequently Asked Questions
The course information states that CSD courses are open to CSD students only, but CSD 311 is open to all students. Which is it? Can I still register for this course if I am not a CSD student?
CSD 311 is an undergraduate course and therefore available to all students.
Is CSD 311 the same course as CSD 211?
Yes, CSD 211 had a number change as of Fall 2023. If students have taken CSD 211 they cannot register in CSD 311.
Are pre-requisites required to take this course?
The only prerequisite is an introductory linguistics class, such as LING 101 from the University of Alberta. If you completed an introductory linguistics class at another institution, please complete and submit the prerequisite waiver form to the Department of Linguistics.
email: lingugr@ualberta.ca
Is this a pre-requisite for the MScSLP program?
Yes. A course in language acquisition is required for admission to the MScSLP program at the U of A and for many other Canadian speech-language pathology graduate programs.
How is this course offered?
The course is offered online.
If it is an online class, how will I write the exams?
Students in the Edmonton area may write exams on the U of A campus at the Learning Assessment Centre (LAC). Students unable to write at the U of A campus will be given instructions to support remote proctoring of the exam through the LAC.
When is this course offered?
The course will be offered each Fall and Spring term. Beginning in the Fall 2016 term, CSD 311 will be cross-listed with LING 319.
Can I take this course in person?
CSD 311 is only offered online. However, LING 319 is offered on the U of A campus each Winter term.
Want to learn more?
If you still have questions about the course, please contact us at mscslp@ualberta.ca.