Ôn tập 4 theories

Buổi 1 – 8/1/2024

The module consists of:
-Learning theories
-Methods and procedures in language teaching
-Core principles of language teaching and learning

Behaviorism: thuyết hành vi
Cognitivism/Mentalism: thuyết tri nhận/nhận thức
Constructivism: thuyết kiến tạo
Learning and acquisition: Việc học và việc lĩnh hội/thụ đắc ngôn ngữ

Grammar-Translation Method
Direct Method
Audio-Lingual Method
Communicative Language Teaching
Total Physical Response
Task-based Language Teaching

Procedures
PPP (Presentation-Practice-Production)
ESA (Engage-Study-Activate)
Pre-While-Post-procedure

Factors affecting language learning
            -learning enviroment/teacher/student
Principles of teaching and learning English

Overview: Difference among approach/method/technique
-Approach: Theories about the nature of language and how languages are learnt (Cognitive approach/Communicative approach)
-Method: Ways of teaching: DM, TPR, CLT
-Technique: Kinds of classroom activities role play/task-solving activities

The components of language

-Language areas: Phonology/Lexis/Structure (Pronounciation/Vocabulary/Grammar)
-Language skills: Lis, Spe, Read, Wri
àTo be a proficient: have knowledge about 3 areas; master 4 skills

Overview of behaviorism in Psychology

1. Historical context (Psychological theory about language teaching and learning)
-First developed in 1900s as a reaction against traditional psychology
-Dominant in the 1950s and 60s
2. Core principles
-Focusing on observable and measurable behaviors
-Emphasizing environmental influences on behaviors which means all behaviors can be measured, changed, and controlled
-Utilizing the stimulus-response (S-R) formula to explain behaviors
3. Role of reinforcement=consequencce
-Positive or negative consequences influence future behaviors
-Critical for predicting and controlling behaviors.

Key Figures
-Ivan Pavlov: Classical conditioning
-B. F Skinner: Operant conditioning
-John B. Waston: Albert experiment
-Edward Thorndike: Law of effect

4. History of Behaviorism

-1890s-Early Foundation: Ivan Pavlov-Classical Conditioning
-1913: The Birth of Behaviorism
-1920-Watson’s Experiment: Watson’s experiment-human’s conditioned emtional responses
-1930s-Rise of Operant conditioning: B.F Skinner-The Behavior of Organism
-1980s: Decline of Legacy: Behaviorism’s dominance declines with the rise of cognitive psychology
Classical conditioning (phản xạ có điều kiện)
àIvan Pavlov is a physiologist, not a psychologist

àNew learnt behavior (Mục đích của thí nghiệm: teach the dog a new behavior)àIt begins to salivate at the sight of the bell without food.
-Classical conditioning: Learning through association which means two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response in a person/animal.
-Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): the stimulus that evokes a natural response
-Unconditioned Response (UCR): the natural reaction to the unconditioned stimulus
-Conditioned Stimulus (CS): previously neutral stimulus that, through conditioning, evokes conditioned response
-Conditioned Response (CR): Learned reaction to conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning

THE FOUNDER OF BEHAVIORISM – JOHN B WASTON (Ameican psychologist)

His work emphasized the study of observable behaviors rather than internal mental states – his famous “Little Albert” experiment demonstrates how emotions can be conditioned in humans.

àFrom a neutral/unconditioned stimulus to a conditioned stimulus
èHow human emotions can be conditioned under the influence of enviromental factors.

Watson’s view about Behaviorism

Watson concluded that behavior is primarily shaped by environmental factors. He believed that through conditioning, any behaviour could be learned or unlearned, emphasizing the role of the enviroment in determining human actions.

OPERANT CONDITIONING – B. F Skinner: An American psychologist

-Specific consequences are associated with a voluntary behavior
            +Rewards introduced to increase a behavior
            +Punishment introduced to decrease a behavior

-Operant conditioning (instrumental conditioning) focuses on using either reinforcement or punishment to increase or decrease a behavior. Through this process, an association is formed between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior
àReinforcement can be negative or positive; the same goes to punishment

-learning: changed behavior through

Differences between Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike: An American psychologist

-He pioneered the law of effect, which presents a theory about how behavior is learned and reinforced

OVER GENERALIZATIONS

Các ví dụ trong giáo trình về năng lực tri nhận ngôn ngữ của các em bé, mặc dù có tính logic nhưng mà ngôn ngữ không phải lúc nào cũng theo một quy tắc nhất định

Noam Chomsky – American linguist/ Father of Modern Linguistics

Noam Chomsky’s critque of Behaviorism
1. Main objection
-Chomsky questions the behaviorist view that all languages is learnt through conditioning
2. Central questions
-If any language is learnt behavioristly
            +How can children and adults say things they have never heard before?
            +How are new sentences created in conversation and poetry under behaviorist principles?
3. Chomsky’s argument
-Suggesting the presence of an innate mental ability for language processing
-Emphasizing that humans are not just passive receivers of conditioned stimuli but active processors and creators of language.

THE BLACK BOX CONCEPT

1. Language Acquisition Device (LAD): Chomsky propsed the idea of an innate “Language Acquisition Device” (LAD), which he reffered to as a “black box”. This “black box” represents an inborn mental structure in the human brain that allows individuals to acquire knowledge.

-Black box=mental structure

2. Universal Grammar: There are universal rules or features that apply to all languages.

3. Parameters: These are the variations that can differ from one language to another. While the principles are universal, parameters allow for the diversity of languages.

Structure Dependence
-One of the principles of UG is that language is structure-dependent, meaning that the rules of language depend on structures (such as phrases and sentences) rather than sequences of words (con người nhận ra cấu trúc khi chúng ta đọc một ngôn ngữ khác)

Word Order Parameter
-English (Head-Initial): In English, a phrase typically comes before its complements. SVO
-Japanese (Head-Final): In Japanese, the head comes after its complements, SOV
-English vs Vietnamese: a beautiful girl vs cô gái đẹp
-Spanish: removal of subject

What is Cognitivism?

Cognitivism is a learning theory that focusses on how information is received, organized, stored and retrieved by the mind. Cognitivism looks beyond observable behaviors and view learning as internal mental process. Cognitivists view knowledge as symbolic metal constructs or schemata.

Key Principles and Classrom Implications

Jean Piaget (1896-1980) – Different stages of learning

Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years
Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 years
Concrete operational stage: 7 to 11 years
Formal Operational stage: 12 and up

Differences between Behaviorism and Cognitivism

Buổi 2 -15/1/2025

Constructivism

Summary:
Emphasize learning, not teaching
See learners as creatures of will and purpose
Thinks of learning as a process
Supports co-operative learning

Definition: An approach that emphasizes the active role of learners in building their own understanding and knowledge
àLearning is not a passive process of aborbing information, but an active process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences (mental construction)
àLearner autonomy (choice) and initiative (action) are encouraged
àLearning is affected by the context, beliefs, attitudes

-Teacher’s role: Facilitator, confirm the right knowledge

*Core Principles:
-Learning: search for meaning
-Learning process focusses on primary concepts, not isolated facts. (The big pictureàliên kết thông tin nhanh hơn)
-Teachers must understand the mental models that students use to perceive the world (know the learner’s level and preferences)
-Purpose of learning: students construct their own meaning, rather regurgitate someone’s else meaning
-Education is inherently interdisciplinaryàassessment: part of learning process

*Process of learning:

How Constructivism impacts learning

-Curriculum: eliminiation of a standardized curriculumàcustomized to the students’ prior knowledge. Hands-on problem-solving is emphasized
-Instruction: Under the theory of constructivism, educators focus on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Tailored strategies to student responses, encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. Open-ended questions
-Assessment: elimination of grades and standardized testing. Students play a larger role in judging their own progress.

Learning and Acquisition

The Input hypothesis (1985) – Stephen Krashen
-Comprehensible input is Key, i+1: I=learner’s current level, “+1”=slightly more advancedàcomprehension and acquisition occurs
èThe teacher role: Help to make the input comprehensible
-Acquisition vs Learning: subconscious vs conscious
-Natural Order hypothesis
-Affective Filter hypothesis: emotional factors can create a “filter” that blocks comprehensible input and hinders language acquisition
-Monitor Hypothesis: use conscious knowledge of grammar rules to monitor and edit output, but over-monitoring can hinder fluency

Implications for language teaching
-Focus on meaning, not form: Teachers provide comprehensible input in meaningful contexts
-Use a variety off techniques vissuals, realia, gestures, …  
-Create low-anxiety environment: encourage, support
-Encourage communication

Caretaker talk
Characteristics
-Simplified language: shorter sentences, basic vocabulary, repetition
-Exaggerated intonation and prosody: higher pitch, slower speech rate
-Focus on the Hero and Now: concrete topics, simple grammar
-Recasting (nói lại với cách đúng) and Expansion (khi recasting thêm vào chút chút) : rephrase, correcting errors, modelling, adding new information/grammatical elements

Why it is important?
-Attract attention
-Highlight important features
-Provide feedback and support
-Create positive learning environment

Visualisation:
Learning: Studying a MAP before a journey: gain knowledge but might not be able to navigate effortlessly
Acquisition: Exploring a new city by walking its streets: learn by doing, pick up the language through interaction with surroundings.

Whether to choose learning or acquisition depends on the purpose of your teaching
èLearning is for when you need to provide a foundation for understanding language structure and patterns, support for self-correction, addresses specific needs (pronounciation, complex grammar structures)
èAcquisition is for promoting fluency, communicative competence. It is a subconscious process that emphasizes natural meaningful interaction. This can help with long-term retention

HOW CAN TEACHERS PROMOTE ACCQUISITION IN A FORMAL CLASSROM?
-Make it meaningufl with variety of input: visuals, gestures, demonstrations, modified speech (pace, articulation), contextual clues (scenarios, stories)
-Target i+1: input-slightly above students’ current level, stretch but not overwhelm
-Create low-anxiety environment: emphasize fluency, meaing delivery, encourage risk taking, provide constructive feedback
-Maximize interaction and engagement
-Authentic communication

BASELINE TALK AND FOREIGNER TALK

èThe role of Input and Interaction in L2 acquisition
Input modifications
àForeigner talk
            àUngrammatical foreigner talk: Lack of respect, can be resented by learnersàInterlanguage forms (Anh ấy có điều kiện: He has conditions)
            àGrammatical foreigner talk: Slower pace, simplified input, regularlized (Don’t=do not)

-Stephen Krashen’s input hypothesis: i+1àAccquisition takes place (comprehensible input)
-Michael Long’s interaction hypothesis: Interactional modificationsàMOST EFFECTIVE-Negotiation of meaning

COMPARING ROUGHLY TUNED INPUT AND FINELY TUNED INPUT

INTERACTION HYPOTHESIS – MICHAEL LONG
-Builds upon Krashen’s Input Hypothesis
-Emphasizes the crucial role of interaction in second language acquisition
-Language learning is most effective when learners actively engage in meaningful conversations and negotiate meaning with others.

*CORE PRINCIPLES:
-Interaction facilitates comprehension: negotiate meaning helps make input more comprehensibleàAsk for clarification, repetition, simplificationàModified inputàEasier to process
-Modified interaction provide learners with opportunities to receive feedback on their language use, notice the differences between their output and the target language
-Interaction encourage outputàproblem solving activities, information gap, collaborative projects

Caretaker talk vs Grammatical foreigner talk
-Talk to babies              Talk to adults
-For correcting error      For communicating