LANGUAGE & LANGUAGE LEARNING

 What are the common views on language?

What are the common views on language learning?

What are the  common views on language?

·        Language is a linguistic system made up of various subsystems. Learning a language is to learn its vocabulary and structural rules.

·        Structural view:

·        Language is a linguistic system made up of various subsystems. Learning a language is to learn its vocabulary and structural rules.

Ferdiand de Saussure

(1857-1913 )

·        Language is a linguistic system as well as a means for doing things. Learners learn a language in order to do things with it (use it).

·        Functional view:

·        Language is a linguistic system as well as a means for doing things. Learners learn a language in order to do things with it (use it).

Professor M A K Halliday

·        Language is a communicative tool to maintain social relations. Learners need to know the rules of a language and where, when and how it is appropriate to use them.

·        Interactional view:

·        Language is a communicative tool to maintain social relations. Learners need to know the rules of a language and where, when and how it is appropriate to use them.

John Dewey

(1859-1952)


Lev Vygosky

(1896-1934)

 

Structural view: Language is a linguistic system made up of structural rules and vocabulary.

Functional view: Language is a linguistic system as well as a means for doing things (to be used in real life).

Interactional view: Language is a communicative tool to maintain social relations.

Your view of language determines your way of teaching.    


What will be your focus in teaching?

·        Structural viewknowledge: vocabulary and grammar (sentence patterns)

·        Functional viewcommunicative categories, communicative ability (to be able to communicate)

·        Interactional view– to communicate appropriately (communicative strategies, cultural awareness, etc.)

Your view of language determines your teaching methods.

Your teaching methods is a major factor to determine whether you’ll be a good language teacher or not

 What are the common views on language learning?

Behaviorism

Pavlov Skinner

Imitation & repetition (S-R-R)

External factors

Cognitivism

Chomsky

Thinking

(creativity)

Internal

factors

Constructivism

Piaget

Dewey

Dewey

Personal

construction

 

 

Interaction

Social-

constructivism

Vygosky

ZPD &

scaffolds

Behaviorist theory

Behaviorism

Skinner

mitation

& repetition (S-R-R)

External factors

 
·        Representatives (Pavlov; Skinner)
·        Behaviorist view of language and learning
·        Influence (Audio-Lingual Method)

Ivan Pavlov: S-R
(1849-1936)


B. F. Skinner: S-R-R
(1904 - 1990)


Behaviorist view of language and learning

·        All complex forms of behaviors can be learned by Stimulus-Response-Reinforcement.

·        Language is a form of behavior.

·        Language can be learned as animals are trained to respond to stimuli (by mechanical drills such as imitation & repetition).

Audio-Lingual Method

Leonard Bloomfield
(1887-1949)

‘Listen and repeat’ drilling activities are the most important classroom activities.
Mistakes are immediately corrected and correct utterances are immediately praised.

Cognitive theory

Cognitivism

Chomsky

Thinking

(creativity)

Internal factors

  • Representative (Chomsky)
  • Cognitive view of language and learning
  • The influence

Noam Chomsky
(1928--)

Cognitive view of language and learning

·        If all language is learned by imitation and repetition, how can a child produce a sentence that has never been said by others before?

·        Is my mum taking me to the doctor so that she can doc me?

·        Language is a rule-based system and with a knowledge of the finite rules (language competence), infinite sentences can be produced

Influence of cognitive theory

Learners should be allowed to create their own sentences based on their understanding of certain rules (creativity)

Constructivist theory

Constructivism

Personal construction

Interaction

·        Representative (Piaget; Bruner; Dewey)

·        Constructivist view of language and  learning

Jean Piaget
(1896 – 1980)

Piaget’s views and influence

Learning is a personal construction of knowledge to be learned based on the learner’s previous experience.

Learner’s experience

Learner’s

personal construction

Knowledge to be learned


John Dewey
(1859-1952)

Dewey’s views and influence

·        Learning by doing

·        Teaching should be built on learners’ experience and engage learners in learning activities.

·        Teachers need to design environments and interact with learners.

Social-constructivist theory

Social-

constructivism

Vygosky

ZPD &

scaffolds

Interaction

Representative (Vygosky)

Social-constructivist view of language and learning and the influence

Lev Vygosky
(1896-1934)

Social-constructivist views of language and language learning

·        Interaction and engagement with the target language in a social context is important.

·        ZPD—Zone of Proximal Development

Zone of Proximal Development & scaffolding






















Social-constructivist views of language and language learning

·        Interaction and engagement with the target language in a social context is important.

·        ZPD—Zone of Proximal Development

·        Scaffolding—learning is best achieved through the dynamic interaction between   the teacher and the learner (question & explanation) the learners (a more capable peer’s support)


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