Language and Communication

The course aims to describe human language, defining its role within the communication. Origin and development of language, will be taken into consideration from a phylogenetic as well as from a ontogenetic point of view. The organization of the various aspects of language (phonology, lexicon, syntax, pragmatics) will be examined through a perspective in between psycholinguistics, which studies phenomena and processes, and neuro-linguistic, which studies mechanisms and neural substrates underlying human language, a fundamental social tool. Furthermore verbal and nonverbal communication will be considered in both, typical and pathological aspects.