SLH/LIN350:

Language and the Brain (09995)

Spring 2024 Syllabus

Time: M/W/F 2:00-3:00pm

Classroom: GEA 105
Mode of Instruction: In-person/ face-to-face only

Instructor: Stephanie Grasso, PhD, CCC-SLP Pronouns: she/her/hers

Email: Please send me messages through Canvas Inbox only – this keeps me organized!
Should Canvas misfunction here is a direct email address: [email protected]
Student Hours: Held in-person in CMB 4.124 or via Zoom on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30pm or
by appointment. Click here to sign-up. Click here to join Zoom hours.

TA: Joel Redmond Pronouns: he/him/his

Email: Please send me messages through Canvas Inbox only – this keeps me organized! Should
Canvas misfunction here is a direct email address: [email protected]
Student Hours: Held in-person in CMB 1.124 or via Zoom (click here to join) on Tuesdays from
2-4pm or by appointment. Click here to sign-up.

TA: Rachel Tessmer, M.A. Pronouns: she/her/hers

Email: Please send me messages through Canvas Inbox only – this keeps me organized! Should
Canvas misfunction here is a direct email address: [email protected]
Student Hours: Held in-person in CMB 1.124 or via Zoom (click here to join) on Mondays from
3:15-5:15pm or by appointment. Click here to sign-up.

Per our right, we prohibit carrying of handguns in our personal offices. Note that this information
will also be conveyed to all students verbally during the first week of class.

Readings:
• All readings will be provided on Canvas as PDFs. These can be downloaded for free.
• Excerpts from Andreatta – Neuroscience Fundamentals for Communication Sciences
and Disorders. Available from UT Library as an eBook or download. I will provide PDFs
for the chapters we use – you do not need to buy this book.

Course Description
This class will provide you with the fundamentals for understanding the fascinating mystery of how
the brain processes speech and language. You will learn the principles of structural and functional
organization in the human brain through learning neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. You will
also learn about techniques used to measure brain activity to probe language function.
Neurological disorders caused by injury to the brain, such as aphasia, will be discussed to show
how speech and language function are affected by stroke.

What will you learn? (Learner Outcomes)

At the end of the course, students will:
1. Be able to describe the structure and function of neurons and understand how
neurons send information in the brain;
2. Be able to describe the structure and function of brain structures that are relevant for
speech and language;
3. Be familiar with methods for measuring human brain structure and function, including
functional and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrophysiology,
electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and
electrocorticography (ECoG);
4. Understand how speech and language are represented in the brain;
5. Be able to describe neurological disorders that affect speech and language function;
6. Be able to discuss issues in the cognitive neuroscience of language and be able to
describe what is not yet known (and what remains to be discovered!!)

How to do well in this class:

Students who attend class regularly and complete the assigned readings and assignments are
likely to do well. Lectures will serve to clarify the content of the readings, emphasize important
points, and let you know what level of understanding is expected.

PowerPoint slides from the lectures will be posted on Canvas. These will highlight major points,
but you should also take notes in class because additional important material will be provided
during lecture.

You are encouraged to raise questions during class, or you can pose them in writing before or
after class via Canvas or email. Please visit the professor’s or your TA's office hours for additional
clarification of course content.

Classroom Policies

Attendance: Please plan to attend all classes and arrive on time. Attendance in this class is
crucial to learn the required material. Reading the reading materials alone will not suffice. Monday
Mini Check content may come from a combination of in-class discussions, readings and podcasts.
Your full attention is appreciated during class time. Make sure you do not have email or social
media open during class. Please turn off audible ringtones and notification tones before class
starts. If you are unable to attend class, email the instructor & TA via Canvas ahead of time
explaining the extenuating circumstance. Instapolls will be used at random for attendance in each
class and will be counted towards your grade (see grade breakdown below).

Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence for a
religious holy day as far in advance as possible of the date of observance. If you must miss a
class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day,
you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the
absence.

Virtual/Email Communication: If you have a question, try asking a classmate, posting it on the
Canvas class discussion board, or attending office hours first. If your question remains
unanswered, send the TAs and the instructor a message via Canvas. Note that the TAs and
instructor will respond within 24 hours of typical business hours unless a specific away
message is provided by the instructor or TA.

Required Devices: A laptop or tablet will be needed to complete assignments and to indicate
attendance in class via Instapoll responses (via Canvas). You are required to bring a device to
class for this reason.

Confidentiality of Class Recordings: Class recordings (from assignments) are reserved only for
students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings
should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could
lead to Student Misconduct proceedings.

Getting Help with technology

Students needing help with technology in this course should contact the ITS Service Desk.

Summary of Key Classroom Policies and Procedures

• Please enter the classroom on time. If you will not be in class, send the instructor and TA an
email via Canvas. Unless it is a specific absence that is excused, you will lose points towards
attendance.
• Treat the professor, TA, and fellow students with respect.
• Silence cell phones and other devices during class.
• Announcements related to the course (which will happen very often) will be distributed via the
Canvas announcement system. Therefore, you must check your Canvas announcement
system multiple times a week. Note that the Canvas announcement system is different that
your UT email. Check your notification settings on your Canvas page under your account
settings.
• Late assignments will not be accepted.
• Make up assignments will not be allowed.

Assignments/Grading Components
You will be assessed based on short Monday Mini Checks, written homework assignments
(to be turned in on Canvas), participation in discussions on Canvas, and on a Cumulative
Exam. In addition, Instapolls which will be used for attendance will count towards your grade.

1) Monday Mini Checks:

The Monday Mini Checks are short self-assessments to complete every Monday and will be
due by 11:59pm that day. These quizzes are multiple-choice, quick self-checks for your
understanding of the material each week. You can take each quiz as many times as you
want, and only your highest score will count. However, these attempts must be finished
before Monday at 11:59pm. Each Monday Mini-Check will be released on Friday before the
next week. There are 13 possible Monday Mini-Checks, and you are required to do 11 of these
to receive full credit. If you choose to do all 13, the lowest two will be dropped.

2) Homework:
Homework assignments will give you a chance to synthesize the topics we learn in class. These
will include short answer, written, and multiple-choice questions. You are allowed to work in
groups as long as you provide a list of who you worked with. Each person must turn in their
own work in their own words (do NOT send the same assignment or use generative AI such
as Chat GPT!, see additional policies regarding AI, below). These homework assignments are
open note and open book, so you can use these materials at your disposal. Homework
assignments are due at the start of class (2:00pm).
 3) Discussions:
Each week, you will participate in one small group discussion via Canvas. These Canvas
discussions will allow you to deepen your understanding of the topics we cover and apply the
material in new ways. Discussions will focus on practical questions, debriefing class activities,
and analyzing case studies. Each Discussion post will normally require you to post one question
and/or to answer another peer’s questions over the course of a few days. It is essential that you
are active and engaged in these discussions on time. Each week, the discussion will open after
class on Wednesday and will close by the start of class (2:00pm) the following Monday (the
first class of the following week). There will be no Discussion the final week of class.

4) Cumulative Exam:
The cumulative exam will be a multiple choice exam which will take place in-person on April 29th
during class time. The exam will consist of approximately 80% of questions derived from in-class
reviews that will take place throughout the semester and approximately 20% of questions on the
cumulative exam will consist of new questions from material covered throughout the course. A
study guide will not be provided given the nature of the exam.

5) Instapolls:
Instapolls will be used at random during each class to indicate attendance. These are used to
encourage participation and are graded for completion, not correctness. There will be 1 poll per
lecture (41 total) and at least 80% must be completed to receive full credit for this part of your
grade (33/41 Instapolls= full 8% towards grade). No make-up Instapolls will be provided and the
grade will be calculated based on the proportion of Instapolls completed. The Instapolls will be
found in the “Instapoll” tab on the class Canvas page after the instructor indicates that the poll has
been released and can be completed on a phone, laptop, or tablet.

Course Outline and Schedule

Day Date Topic Read/Watch/Listen Assignment

Description

Structure and Function of the Brain

Introduction to the
course, historical
Wednesday 17-Jan foundations

Introduction to the Andreatta Ch. 1,

Friday 19-Jan course, historical Aristotle on the
foundations Brain

The neuron: structure Andreatta Ch. 2 Monday Mini

and function Check 1 @
Monday 22-Jan 11:59pm
Discussion Board
1 @ 2:00pm
The neuron: ion Andreatta Ch. 3
Wednesday 24-Jan channels and
neurotransmitters

The neuron: action Andreatta Ch. 3

Friday 26-Jan potentials and synaptic
transmission
 The brain: organization Monday Mini
of the nervous system Check 2 @
Monday 29-Jan Part 1 11:59pm
Discussion Board 2
@ 2:00pm
The brain: organization
Wednesday 31-Jan of the nervous system
Part 2

The brain: organization

Friday 2-Feb of the nervous system
Part 3

Review: Structure and Monday Mini

Function of the Brain Check 3 @
Monday 5-Feb 11:59pm
Discussion Board
3 @2:00pm
Methods for Measuring Neural Activity/Brain Structure

Neuroimaging: HW1 due

Wednesday 7-Feb Introduction @2:00pm

Methods for measuring Leonard & Chang

Friday 9-Feb neural activity 2016
(ECoG/ephys)

Methods for measuring History of EEG, Monday Mini

neural activity BrainWaves podcast Check 4
Monday 12-Feb @11:59pm
(EEG)
Discussion Board
4 @2:00pm
Methods for measuring
neural activity
Wednesday 14-Feb (MEG)

Methods for measuring Kemmerer Ch. 2

Friday 16-Feb neural activity
(fMRI/fNIRS)

Cortical stimulation Penfield and

Boldrey 1937; Monday Mini Check
mapping, maps in the
5 @ 11:59pm
brain Holmes 1918;
Monday 19-Feb
Ferrier 1874; Discussion Board 5
Pearce historical @2:00pm
note
Review: Neuroimaging HW2 due @2:00pm

Wednesday 21-Feb

Representation of Speech and Language in the Brain

 Historical theories of Caramazza 1984;
language representation
Friday 23-Feb Geschwind 1972;
Schuell and
Jenkins 1959
Monday Mini Check
Neural bases of speech Hullett et al.
6 @11:59pm
perception (acoustic 2016
Monday 26-Feb representations)
Discussion Board 6
@2:00pm
Neural bases of speech Mesgarani et al.
perception (phonetic) 2014
Wednesday 28-Feb

Neural bases of speech De Heer et al.

perception (semantic) 2017, Huth et al.
Friday 1-Mar 2017

Monday Mini Check

Neural bases of reading
7 @11:59pm
and writing
Monday 4-Mar
Discussion Board 7
@2:00pm
Neural bases of speech Conant et al.
production: 2014
Wednesday 6-Mar conceptualization and
lexical selection
HW3 due @ 2:00pm
Neural bases of speech
production: initiation,
Friday 8-Mar execution and control

SPRING BREAK NO CLASS!

Monday Mini Check

Language and memory
8 @11:59pm
Monday 18-Mar
Discussion Board 8
@2:00pm
Lateralization of language “A Tale of Two
Halves”
Wednesday 20-Mar

Review: Neural bases of

Friday 22-Mar speech perception and
production

Disorders Affecting Language

Temporal lobe epilepsy Jordan 2007 Monday Mini Check

and language 9 @11:59pm
Monday 25-Mar
Discussion Board 9
@2:00pm
 Disorders of language: “Recalled to Life”
Aphasia and stroke
Wednesday 27-Mar

Disorders of language: Gorno-Tempini et al.

Primary Progressive 2011, Unraveling
Friday 29-Mar Aphasia Bolero podcast

Disorders of language: Monday Mini Check

Primary Progressive 10 @11:59pm
Monday 1-Apr Aphasia Part 2
Discussion Board
10 @2:00pm
Disorders of language: “A Man of Letters”
Alexia
Wednesday 3-Apr

Aphasia Case studies 1

Friday 5-Apr

Paper discussion “Broca Tremblay & Dick Monday Mini Check

and Wernicke are dead” – 2016 11 @11:59pm
Monday 8-Apr read before class
Discussion Board
11 @2:00pm
Aphasia Case studies 2
Wednesday 10-Apr

Review: Disorders HW4 due @

affecting language 2:00pm
Friday 12-Apr

Special topics
Auditory attention and the Mesgarani et al. 2012 Monday Mini Check
cocktail party problem 12 @11:59pm
Monday 15-Apr
Discussion Board
12 @2:00pm
Bilingualism and the brain Costa &
Sebastián-
Gallés,
Wednesday 17-Apr Nature
Reviews
Neuroscience 2014
Bilingual aphasia
Friday 19-Apr
 The neural basis of sign Hickok 1996; Monday Mini Check
language MacSweeney 2008 13 @11:59pm
Monday 22-Apr
Discussion Board
13 @2:00pm
Language, the brain, and Moses et al., 2021
machines: Brain computer
Wednesday 24-Apr interfaces for language

Developmental language
disorders|
Friday 26-Apr
Final Review: Special
Topics

Monday 29-Apr Cumulative Exam Cumulative Exam

NOTE – This syllabus is subject to change; students who miss class are responsible for learning
about any changes to the syllabus.

Course Assignments and Point Values

Item Grade %
Monday Mini Checks (13 total, 11 required) 11
Homework 1 10
Homework 2 10
Homework 3 10
Homework 4 10
Participation in Canvas Discussions (1 point per week) 13

Instapolls 8
Cumulative Exam 28
TOTAL 100

Grades will be calculated using the UT recommended +/-

system, as follows:
C < 77% to 74%
A 100% to 94% C- < 74% to 70%
A- < 94% to 90% D+ < 70% to 67%
B+ < 90% to 87% D < 67% to 64%
B < 87% to 84% D- < 64% to 61%
B- < 84% to 80% F < 61% to 0%
C+ < 80% to 77%
Below you will find additional information that is relevant for this course provided by
the University of Texas:

UNIVERSITY Policies and resources

For a list of important university policies and helpful resources that you may need as you engage
with and navigate your courses and the university, see the University Policies and Resources
Students Canvas page. The page includes the language of the University Honor Code, Title IX
legal requirements for Texas employees, and information about how to receive support through
the office of Disability & Access.

Sharing of Course Materials is Prohibited

No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos,
assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials,
review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the
class without my explicit, my written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials may facilitate
cheating. The University is aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found
online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be
reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These
reports can result in initiation of the student conduct process and include charge(s) for academic
misconduct, potentially resulting in sanctions, including a grade impact.

Content warning
Our classroom provides an open space for the critical and orderly exchange of ideas through
discussion. Some readings and other content in this course will include topics and comments that
some students may find offensive and/or traumatizing. I’ll aim to forewarn students about
potentially disturbing content and I ask all students to help to create an atmosphere of mutual
respect and sensitivity.

Artificial Intelligence
The creation of artificial intelligence tools for widespread use is an exciting innovation. These tools
have both appropriate and inappropriate uses in classwork. The use of artificial intelligence tools
(such as ChatGPT) in this class is strictly prohibited. This includes using AI to generate ideas,
outline an approach, answer questions, solve problems, or create original language. All work in
this course must be your own or created in group work, where allowed.

Academic Integrity Expectations

Students who violate University rules on academic misconduct are subject to the student conduct
process. A student found responsible for academic misconduct may be assigned both a status
sanction and a grade impact for the course. The grade impact could range from a zero on the
assignment in question up to a failing grade in the course. A status sanction can include a written
warning, probation, deferred suspension or dismissal from the University. To learn more about
academic integrity standards, tips for avoiding a potential academic misconduct violation, and the
overall conduct process, please visit the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity website at:
http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/conduct.

Important Safety Information-Carrying of Handguns on Campus

Students in this class should be aware of the following university policies related to Texas’ Open
Carry Law:
• Students in this class who hold a license to carry are asked to review the university policy regarding
campus carry.
• Individuals who hold a license to carry are eligible to carry a concealed handgun on campus,
including in most outdoor areas, buildings and spaces that are accessible to the public, and in
classrooms.
• It is the responsibility of concealed-carry license holders to carry their handguns on or about their
person at all times while on campus. Open carry is NOT permitted, meaning that a license holder
may not carry a partially or wholly visible handgun on campus premises or on any university
driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.