THEORIES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING
(THEORIES OF SLA + LEARNER VARIABLES)
1. Descriptive linguistics and behaviorism
- basic terminology: theory, approach, method, syllabus
- theories of second language acquisition (SLA): descriptive linguistics, behaviorism, nativism, interactionism, cognitivism
- descriptive linguistics (structuralism) (L. Bloomfield, E. Sapir, Ch. Hockett): language as an aspect of external behaviour; focus on morphology, syntax and phonology; scientific method
- behaviorism (B. F. Skinner, J. B. Watson): philosophical heritage - empiricism (J. Locke, D. Hume, G. Berkeley: learning through sensations and environmental exposure); learning as a three-phase sequence (stimulus + response + reinforcement); language as a set of learned habits that call for reinforcement; extrinsic motivation; error as the evidence of non-learning; proactive inhibition; The Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis;, The Hierarchy of Difficulty; The Markedness Differential Hypothesis; imitation rather than creation
2. Nativism (Innatism) (N. Chomsky - L1, S. Krashen - L2)
- Chomsky's Theory: generative-transformational grammar; language as an innate faculty of human mind; Language Acquisition Device (LAD); Universal Grammar - core (unmarked) rules vs. periphery (marked) rules; competence vs. performance; linguistic creativity; Chomsky's critique of Skinner's Verbal Behavior
- Krashen's Theory: zero option for form-focused instruction; The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis; The Natural Order Hypothesis; The Affective Filter Hypothesis; The Monitor Hypothesis; The Input Hypothesis
3. Krashen's hypotheses and theories meant to complete the innatist stance
The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis: the non-interface position; acquisition as attainable at any age
The Natural Order Hypothesis: four stages in the acquisition of English morphemes
The Affective Filter Hypothesis: silent period; five stages of production, topics of interest
The Monitor Hypothesis: monitor as a self-repair device; three conditions for Monitor use; the interaction between acquired and learned knowledge
The Input Hypothesis: comprehensible input vs. finely-tuned input; contextual cues and non-verbal signals; affective-humanistic activities (AHA)
Theories completing the innatist stance: The Model of High/Low Input Generators; The Comprehensible Output Hypothesis - communicative failure, pushed production
4-5. Interactionism (E. Bialystok, M. Long) and cognitivism (L. Selinker,S. P. Corder, B. McLaughlin) (introductory remarks)
- interactionism: opting for task-based instruction; SLA as a phenomenon drawing on the interplay of language, cognitive knowledge and social factors; personal vs. impersonal sources of information
Long's Interaction Hypothesis: modified interaction
Bialystok'sTheoretical Model of Language Learning: the interface position; levels of language development
- cognitivism:opting for form-focused instruction; language as a mental process comprised of a variety of overlapping stages
The Information Processing Model - controlled vs. automatic processing
6. Cognitivism, p. 2
- The Multidimensional Model: developmental, variational and attitudinal factors; restrictive simplification vs. elaborative simplification
- The Theory of Interlanguage: interlanguage vs. interlangue continuum (built-in syllabus); features of interlaguage (permeable, dynamic, systematic); fossilization, backsliding; cognitive feedback vs. affective feedback; stages of interlanguage development
- stages of L1 acquisition
- stages of L2 acquisition;
- u-shaped behaviour
7-8. Cognitivism, p. 3
- stages in the acquistion of morphemes, interrogative forms and negative forms
- Error Analysis: competence phenomenon (error) vs. performance phenomenon (mistake); typologies and sources of errors
- techniques of correcting errors
- the nature-nurture controversy
9-10. Learner variables
- general variable: age; cognitive variables: aptitude, intelligence, styles, strategies; affective variables: motivation, personality factors
- age: M. Montessori's Theory, Critical Period Hypothesis; brain plasticity; brain asymmetry, E. Lenneberg's/W. Penfield and L. Robert's research data- variables of aptitude and intelligence
- aptitude: aptitude tests commonly referred to as MLAT and PLAB
- intelligence: A. Binet's Theory of Psychometric Intelligence, D. Goleman's Theory of Emotional Intelligence, H. Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, R. J. Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
11-12. Learner styles
- the dichotomic typology of styles (field dependence vs. field independence, right-brain dominance vs. left-brain dominance; ambiguity tolerance vs. ambiguity intolerance, impulsivity vs. reflectivity)
- sensory styles and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
NLP core concepts
VAKOG as NLP representational systems
NLP strategies (modelling, anchoring) and techniques (guided fantasies, stories, physical activities)
13-14. Strategies
- strategies vs. styles
- reception (cognitive, metacognitive, socio-affective) strategies vs. production (avoidance, achievement) strategies
- strategic competence
- methods of investigating L2 learner strategies
- Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI)
15. Personality factors
- self-esteem: global, specific and task self-esteem
- inhibition: identity conflict; language ego
- risk-taking: wild risk-takers vs. moderate risk-takers
- anxiety: two typologies of anxiety ((1)trait anxiety and state anxiety with language anxiety as the latter's constituent part; (2) debilitating anxiety and facilitating anxiety)
- empathy: empathetic intuition, effective communication, cognitive empathy
- introversion/extroversion: the need to reject the stereotyped understanding of both concepts
Basic reading/Primary sources
Brown, H. D. 2000. Principles of language learning and teaching. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Lightbown, P. M., Spada, N. 2004. How languages are learned. Oxford: OUP.
Further reading/Secondary sources
Ellis, R. 2004. The study of second language acquisition.Oxford: OUP.
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/behaviorism.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/h.gardners_mi_theory.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/nlp.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/sensory_styles_quiz_in_polish_1.jpg
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/sensory_styles_quiz_in_polish_2.jpg
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/extroversion_introversion_test.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/learning_styles_quiz.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/right_left_brain_dominance_test.pdf
(THEORIES OF SLA + LEARNER VARIABLES)
1. Descriptive linguistics and behaviorism
- basic terminology: theory, approach, method, syllabus
- theories of second language acquisition (SLA): descriptive linguistics, behaviorism, nativism, interactionism, cognitivism
- descriptive linguistics (structuralism) (L. Bloomfield, E. Sapir, Ch. Hockett): language as an aspect of external behaviour; focus on morphology, syntax and phonology; scientific method
- behaviorism (B. F. Skinner, J. B. Watson): philosophical heritage - empiricism (J. Locke, D. Hume, G. Berkeley: learning through sensations and environmental exposure); learning as a three-phase sequence (stimulus + response + reinforcement); language as a set of learned habits that call for reinforcement; extrinsic motivation; error as the evidence of non-learning; proactive inhibition; The Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis;, The Hierarchy of Difficulty; The Markedness Differential Hypothesis; imitation rather than creation
2. Nativism (Innatism) (N. Chomsky - L1, S. Krashen - L2)
- Chomsky's Theory: generative-transformational grammar; language as an innate faculty of human mind; Language Acquisition Device (LAD); Universal Grammar - core (unmarked) rules vs. periphery (marked) rules; competence vs. performance; linguistic creativity; Chomsky's critique of Skinner's Verbal Behavior
- Krashen's Theory: zero option for form-focused instruction; The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis; The Natural Order Hypothesis; The Affective Filter Hypothesis; The Monitor Hypothesis; The Input Hypothesis
3. Krashen's hypotheses and theories meant to complete the innatist stance
The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis: the non-interface position; acquisition as attainable at any age
The Natural Order Hypothesis: four stages in the acquisition of English morphemes
The Affective Filter Hypothesis: silent period; five stages of production, topics of interest
The Monitor Hypothesis: monitor as a self-repair device; three conditions for Monitor use; the interaction between acquired and learned knowledge
The Input Hypothesis: comprehensible input vs. finely-tuned input; contextual cues and non-verbal signals; affective-humanistic activities (AHA)
Theories completing the innatist stance: The Model of High/Low Input Generators; The Comprehensible Output Hypothesis - communicative failure, pushed production
4-5. Interactionism (E. Bialystok, M. Long) and cognitivism (L. Selinker,S. P. Corder, B. McLaughlin) (introductory remarks)
- interactionism: opting for task-based instruction; SLA as a phenomenon drawing on the interplay of language, cognitive knowledge and social factors; personal vs. impersonal sources of information
Long's Interaction Hypothesis: modified interaction
Bialystok'sTheoretical Model of Language Learning: the interface position; levels of language development
- cognitivism:opting for form-focused instruction; language as a mental process comprised of a variety of overlapping stages
The Information Processing Model - controlled vs. automatic processing
6. Cognitivism, p. 2
- The Multidimensional Model: developmental, variational and attitudinal factors; restrictive simplification vs. elaborative simplification
- The Theory of Interlanguage: interlanguage vs. interlangue continuum (built-in syllabus); features of interlaguage (permeable, dynamic, systematic); fossilization, backsliding; cognitive feedback vs. affective feedback; stages of interlanguage development
- stages of L1 acquisition
- stages of L2 acquisition;
- u-shaped behaviour
7-8. Cognitivism, p. 3
- stages in the acquistion of morphemes, interrogative forms and negative forms
- Error Analysis: competence phenomenon (error) vs. performance phenomenon (mistake); typologies and sources of errors
- techniques of correcting errors
- the nature-nurture controversy
9-10. Learner variables
- general variable: age; cognitive variables: aptitude, intelligence, styles, strategies; affective variables: motivation, personality factors
- age: M. Montessori's Theory, Critical Period Hypothesis; brain plasticity; brain asymmetry, E. Lenneberg's/W. Penfield and L. Robert's research data- variables of aptitude and intelligence
- aptitude: aptitude tests commonly referred to as MLAT and PLAB
- intelligence: A. Binet's Theory of Psychometric Intelligence, D. Goleman's Theory of Emotional Intelligence, H. Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, R. J. Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
11-12. Learner styles
- the dichotomic typology of styles (field dependence vs. field independence, right-brain dominance vs. left-brain dominance; ambiguity tolerance vs. ambiguity intolerance, impulsivity vs. reflectivity)
- sensory styles and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
NLP core concepts
VAKOG as NLP representational systems
NLP strategies (modelling, anchoring) and techniques (guided fantasies, stories, physical activities)
13-14. Strategies
- strategies vs. styles
- reception (cognitive, metacognitive, socio-affective) strategies vs. production (avoidance, achievement) strategies
- strategic competence
- methods of investigating L2 learner strategies
- Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI)
15. Personality factors
- self-esteem: global, specific and task self-esteem
- inhibition: identity conflict; language ego
- risk-taking: wild risk-takers vs. moderate risk-takers
- anxiety: two typologies of anxiety ((1)trait anxiety and state anxiety with language anxiety as the latter's constituent part; (2) debilitating anxiety and facilitating anxiety)
- empathy: empathetic intuition, effective communication, cognitive empathy
- introversion/extroversion: the need to reject the stereotyped understanding of both concepts
Basic reading/Primary sources
Brown, H. D. 2000. Principles of language learning and teaching. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Lightbown, P. M., Spada, N. 2004. How languages are learned. Oxford: OUP.
Further reading/Secondary sources
Ellis, R. 2004. The study of second language acquisition.Oxford: OUP.
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/behaviorism.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/h.gardners_mi_theory.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/nlp.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/sensory_styles_quiz_in_polish_1.jpg
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/sensory_styles_quiz_in_polish_2.jpg
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/extroversion_introversion_test.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/learning_styles_quiz.pdf
/uploads/1/8/2/2/18228743/right_left_brain_dominance_test.pdf