The ultimate aim of the neurocognition of language is to understand how, when, and where in the brain meaning is computed from linguistic input. In this seminar, we will first explore:

• How these questions can be addressed empirically using electrophysiological (e.g., electroencephalography, EEG) and hemodynamic (e.g., functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI) methods;
• How empirical results inform neurocognitive theories and models of language processing;
• How neurocomputational modeling can help to test, validate, and further refine our theories and models.

From here, we will then develop the course according to your interests. Each of you will first give one oral presentation on a topic/paper of choice (in consultation). For the remaining slots (if any), we will collectively pick papers that we will discuss reading group style.

Neurocognition of Language is a seminar taught in the Department of Language Science and Technology at Saarland University. It is open for both (advanced) bachelor-level and master-level students.

Lecturer: Harm Brouwer <me[at]hbrouwer.eu>

Time: Monday 10:15-11:45
Place: Building C7.1, Seminarraum (U15)
Start: 21.10.19

Credits: 4 CP (presentation), 7 CP (presentation + term paper)

This is the course schedule. For the first lectures, see below for suggested background literature.

Date	Topic	Presenter
21.10.19	Introduction to the Neurocognition of Language (Brief)	Harm Brouwer
28.10.19	Electrophysiology of Language Processing I	Harm Brouwer
04.11.19	Electrophysiology of Language Processing II	Harm Brouwer
11.11.19	Aligning Electrophysiology and Functional Neuroanatomy	Harm Brouwer
18.11.19	Neuroanatomy: Friederici, A. D. (2009). Trends in Cognitive Sciences	Lara Wörner
25.11.19	Neuroplasticity: Piai, V., et al. (2017). Human Brain Mapping	Анна Хохлова
02.12.19	Neurotypology: Bornkessel-Schleswesky & Schlesewsky (2009). Language and Linguistics Compass	Teresa Rosa Martín Soeder
09.12.19	L2 Acquisition: Steinhauer, K. (2014). Applied Linguistics	Ludmilla Borisenkov
16.12.19	L2 Control: Thierry and Wu (2004). NeuroReport	Jana Jungbluth
23.12.19	(no class)	—
30.12.19	(no class)	—
06.01.20	Virtual Reality: Peeters, D. (2019). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review	Christian Bachmann
13.01.20	Gesture: Gunther, T. et al. (2015). Frontiers in Psychology	Priyanka Das
20.01.20	Computational Modeling: Brouwer, H. et al. (2017). Cognitive Science	Nicole Macher
27.01.20	Component Overlap: Delogu F., et al. (2019). Brain and Cognition	Martin van Harmelen

This is a inexhaustive list of suggested literature organized by lecture. For each lecture, the list is ordered in terms of the relevance/closeness of the articles to the material presented in that lecture. Articles marked with an asterisk (*) are (co-)authored by me.

21.10.19

1. Hagoort, P. (2019). The neurobiology of language beyond single-word processing. Science 36(6461), pp. 55-58. doi: 10.1126/science.aax0289

28.10.19

1. Kutas, M., van Petten, C., & Kluender, R. (2006). Psycholinguistics Electrified II: 1994-2005. In M. J. Traxler & M. A. Gernsbacher (Eds.), Handbook of psycholinguistics, 2nd ed. pp. 659-724. New York: Elsevier.
2. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., and Mangun, G. R. (2014). Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience. In: Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., and Mangun, G. R. (Eds.), Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind, 4th ed., pp. 71-119. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

04.11.19

1. *Brouwer, H., Fitz, H. and Hoeks, J. C. J. (2012). Getting real about Semantic Illusions: Rethinking the functional role of the P600 in language comprehension. Brain Research, 1446, pp. 127-143. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.01.055
2. Kuperberg, G. R. (2007). Neural mechanisms of language comprehension: Challenges to syntax. Brain Research, 1146, pp. 23-49. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2006.12.063
3. Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, I., & Schlesewsky, M. (2008). An alternative perspective on semantic P600 effects in language comprehension. Brain Research Reviews, 59(1), 55-73. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresrev.2008.05.003
4. Delogu, F., Brouwer, H., and Crocker, M. W. (2019). Event-related potentials index lexical retrieval (N400) and integration (P600) during language comprehension. Brain and Cognition, 135. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.05.007

11.11.19

1. *Brouwer, H. and Hoeks J. C. J. (2013). A Time and Place for Language Comprehension: Mapping the N400 and the P600 to a Minimal Cortical Network. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 7:758. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00758
2. Baggio, G. and Hagoort, P. (2011). The balance between memory and unification in semantics: A dynamic account of the N400. Language and Cognitive Processes, 26:1338-1367.
3. Brouwer, H. and Crocker, M. W. (2017). On the proper treatment of the N400 and P600 in language comprehension. Frontiers in Psychology 8:1327. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01327