The Department of Speech and Language Therapy and Rehabilitation at Birmingham City University will hold the  following research seminar as part of its ongoing seminar series:

DATE: Wednesday 5 February, 3 – 4 pm

VENUE: Seacole 145, City South (Edgbaston) Campus, Birmingham City University (see links to maps below)

Language learning: how sleep can improve your vocabulary

Professor Gareth Gaskell

Department of Psychology

University of York

Abstract: I will explore the possibility that learning a word involves several stages that take place over an extended period of time. Many aspects of acquiring a new word, such as becoming familiar with its sound or meaning, are effectively immediate. However, some more subtle aspects of word learning appear to be slower. I will discuss adult and developmental studies suggesting that sleep has a role to play in consolidating the slower emerging properties, and look at the components of sleep that might be responsible. Finally, I will present some initial results intended to investigate whether sleep and consolidation are implicated for language acquisition in atypical developmental populations

The seminar will be followed by tea and coffee and is free to attend. Seats cannot be reserved but an indication of intended attendance will be appreciated with a view to provision of refreshments. If you are planning to attend, please e-mail Christel de Bruijn on [log in to unmask], or reply to this email.

Please note that, for reasons to do with ownership, we do not provide copies of presentations by speakers and that you are advised to contact the speaker directly. Contact details for the speakers can usually be found on the internet by googling the name of the speaker and their institution. Alternatively, the details may be found by searching their institution’s website directly.

Capacity for car parking is limited and visitors are encouraged to car share or use public transport. A few free car parking spaces can be reserved for external visitors (via [log in to unmask] only), and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Additional paid car parking (for a fee of £1-£2) is available in the student car park. Both visitor and paid car parks are on Westbourne Road.

For directions and maps, please see:

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/maps-and-campuses/city-south-campus/map-and-directions

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/_media/docs/edgbaston_map_and_travel.pdf

For information about public transport, please see:

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/health/contact-us

We look forward to seeing you!

Christel de Bruijn, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Phonetics and Clinical Linguistics
Department of Speech and Language Therapy

School of Allied and Public Health Professions
Birmingham City University (City South Campus)
Seacole West 1/007, Westbourne Road
Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TN

phone : (+)44  (0)121  202 4218
fax       : (+)44  (0)121  331 4208
e-mail: [log in to unmask]