Dear Students Registered for On-Line Language Acquisition in Young Children:

Our on-line course on Language Acquisition will soon begin.  I am attaching the updated syllabus for you to have.  There are a few changes from when the syllabus was first posted in Continuing Education's list of on-line courses.

Below is some important information to help you get ready for the course:

1)  There is a textbook for this course.  Used copies are available at Eastern's bookstore (They cost a little over $11).  You can also find this book in any bookstore.  Here's the information on it:

Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct:  How the Mind Creates Language.  (Originally published -New York: William Morrow, 1995). New York: Perennial Classics, 2000.       ISBN 0-06-095833-2  

OR     Publisher:   HarperCollins Publishers     Pub. Date: September 2007        ISBN-13: 9780061336461      Either is fine!

 2) You will also have required readings that I have placed on Eastern's Library's Digital Reserves. They’ll be in PDF format so you can read them on-line or print them to read hard copies.  You'll be able to access those reserves from the Blackboard Vista page (the home page of our course).   In order to use the reserves, you will need your student ID number and a PIN number.  Since we only have six weeks for this course, you might want to make sure you have your PIN number even before we start on July 7.  You can go now to Eastern's Library's "Getting Started" page and set your PIN now.  To find the reserve readings for our class, just look under my last name "Tapia." If you'd like to take care of setting up your PIN now before the course, starts you can.  Go to Eastern's Smith Library "Getting Started" page at:

http://www.easternct.edu/smithlibrary/library1/GettingStarted.htm

3) It's important that you and your computer are ready right from the start for the on-line work.   You can familiarize yourself with Blackboard at Eastern, our on-line course format,  at     http://www.easternct.edu/depts/its/webct/index.htm 

The key to successfully configuring a home computer to work with Blackboard Vista is to use the “Check Browser” tool.  The “Check Browser” tool is available on Eastern’s “Vista Log In” page. 

Throughout the course, you can receive competent technical support from  webctsupport@easternct.edu     

4) Finally, I wanted to tell you that there will be two different sections of the course.  In order to even out the number of students in each section, I have asked the Registrar to move some of you from section E25 to E26.  Nothing else is really different except that some of you will just be in a different section.

I look forward to meeting you all in the on-line course!

Dr. Tapia