Speech and Communications Major Curriculum

Techniques of public speaking. Includes the delivery of several speeches during the course of the program. 3 credits each.

The study of the sounds of the English language and its application to speech correction. Introduces the student to basic anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism. Identification of acoustic properties of speech sounds and their phonetic application. Instruction in reading and transcribing the International Phonetic Alphabet of American English patterns. Prerequisite (or corequisite): SPLN 101.

Introduction to the anatomy, physiology and neuromuscular systems pertaining to speech and language. The study of the respiratory system for phonation and its function for articulation and resonance. Neural control of speech production and the cerebral organization of language will be discussed. Prerequisites: BION 111 or BION 101.

The study of normal speech and language acquisition and development. Special emphasis on linguistic, cognitive, perceptual, and psychological factors.

Anatomy and physiology of the ear, psychoacoustics of the speech mechanism, and applications to speech pathology. The study of sound as related to speech and hearing. The anatomy and physiology of the hearing mechanism is studied in depth as a basis for normal speech and language development.

An introduction to the disorders of hearing loss, measurement and evaluation of hearing. Basic clinical testing and interpretation of test results will be taught. Pure tone audiometry, basic speech audiometry, impedance testing and masking will be taught. Prerequisites: SPLN 208 and SPLN 308.

Introduction to etiology and diagnosis for speech disorders including articulation, phonology, language, voice, stuttering, cleft palate, and aphasia. 5 hours of observation to be included. Prerequisites: SPLN 208, SPLN 209, SPLN 210.

The rehabilitation and therapeutic approaches to communications disorders such as delayed language, articulation, phonology, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, voice, stuttering, and aphasia. A clinical practicum where the student is an observer for no less than 20 hours is also part of the course. Prerequisite: SPLN 310.

This course is an introduction to the evaluation, management, habilitation, and rehabilitation of individuals with hearing loss. This course will provide an overview of the process that is crucial for the welfare of persons who suffer from hearing impairment and for those who communicate with them. Topics will include hearing aids, deaf culture, and cochlear implants. Prerequisite: SPLN 309.

A senior level course providing the student with an opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved the goals for learning as established by Touro University and the CSD department. The course requires that the student write a research paper and/or conduct a research project on a choice of topics based on contemporary issues and concerns in the field of Audiology or SpeechLanguage Pathology. Concepts in SPLN 208, 209, 210, and 310 are reviewed with emphasis on clinical application. Open to seniors only.

Students will learn the basics of ASL signs, grammar, fingerspelling, and the use of facial expressions and body language to convey meaning.

This course educates the student in the theory of speech production and speech perception, and teaches the spectrographic analysis of speech sounds. The acoustic characteristics of American English, including consonants, vowels, and diphthongs, are studied in depth, with special application to voice disorders and the hearing-impaired. Pre-requisites: SPLN 208, SPLN 209, and SPLN 308.

A senior-level course presenting an overview of pediatric and adult speech motor disorders/feeding and swallowing disorders. Differential diagnosis and treatment, as well as the tools utilized to facilitate oralmotor movements for dysarthria will be discussed. Pre- or co-requisite: SPLN 310.

EDUC 316: The uses of oral language (building vocabulary, expression and comprehension of the spoken word), general cognitive skills (attention, memory, use of symbols, self-regulation), the concepts underlying reading and writing, and specific literacy skills (such as symbol to symbol correspondence) as the context of and initial steps toward literacy for young children. Motivational issues that pertain to the development of reading skills are explored. Emphasis on meeting the needs of young children, including those with limited proficiency in English, who enter day care, nursery school, and other early childhood and early intervention programs with inadequate literacy-related knowledge and skills. Pre- or co-requisite: EDUN 201.

EDUN 317: Creation of language-rich environments and holistic approaches to reading instruction that meet the needs of children with varying language preparation and aptitudes as well as children from diverse backgrounds. Use of a range of teaching and learning modalities. Attention to connections between speech sounds and spellings; the alphabetic principle and recognition of words through letter-sound relations; achieving fluency and comprehension; spelling conventions. Emphasis on language-related experiences at home as well as school and the importance of frequent opportunities to write. Identification of services needed for children who are not making adequate progress in reading, and the importance of coordination of efforts among general educators, special educators, and reading specialists. Discussion of approaches used with language-minority children, including the conditions under which greater or lesser emphasis is placed on reading in the native language. Pre- or co-requisite: EDUN 201.

Stages of life: infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Mental, emotional, and personality changes during development, and the psychological hurdles overcome. Prerequisite: PSYN 101.

Psychology of language and the higher mental processes. Modern conceptions of syntactic, semantic, and lexical structure of language. Prerequisite: PSYN 101.

Methodological and experimental approaches to human behavior focusing on sensation, perception, learning, and memory. Experiments conducted in class, results analyzed, and scientific reports written. Students also design and write a proposal for an experimental project. Prerequisite: PSYN 101 and MATN 261.

Psychology as a biological, behavioral, and social science. Topics include: critical and scientific analysis of human behavior, fundamentals of psychological research, biological bases of behavior, states of consciousness, learning, thought, memory and intelligence, social behavior and personality, mental health and adjustment, diagnosis and treatment of abnormal behavior.

An introductory two-semester course that presents the basic principles and processes of biological science. The first semester includes genetics); biomolecules; and population genetics, the structure and function of the cell, cellular metabolism, cell reproduction, plant physiology, genetics and molecular biology. The second semester includes endocrinology, botany, invertebrate zoology immunology, animal development, and the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, reproductive and nervous systems. Laboratory exercises include microscopy, cellular reproduction, enzyme activity, DNA analysis transformation, comparative studies of animal and plant cells, and plant and animal diversity.

A course designed to provide an understanding of the principles of human biology for the non-science student. First semester: topics include cell and tissue structure and function, photosynthesis, respiration, cellular reproduction, genetics, nutrition and metabolism. Second semester topics include embryological development, hormonal control, blood and immunity, diseases, and the systems of the body. Selected readings and class discussions are an integral part of the course. (Lecture and laboratory).

This course is designed to give the student a wellrounded knowledge of the physical concepts of natural phenomena and fulfill the physics requirement for speech majors. (Lecture and laboratory course.) Prerequisite: MATN 111.