"This course introduces general issues in the field of language development in typical and atypical children. Students will be introduced a variety of topics, including how children acquire first language(s) in the first years of life, the factors that shape their language development, the impact of different factors on their developing cognition and brain. The acquisition of different constructions and domains in typical and atypical children will be explored. Similarities and differences between typical and atypical acquisition will also be discussed. Some myths and misconceptions about language acquisition will be discussed and dispelled in light of the findings derived from recent research. Students will have the opportunity to work with language data from typical and atypical children acquiring Chinese and English as well as other languages. Learning Outcome Upon successfully completing the course, students should be able to: • Acquire the basic concepts in the field of language acquisition • Compare and contrast language development in typical and atypical children • Have a clear understanding of different factors involved in language development • Raise multilingual awareness in the age of globalization • Analyze child language data and evaluate the language development in the local and international community "