Schools of Thought in Schools of Thought in Second Language LearningSecond Language Learning

(1940’s - 2000’s)(1940’s - 2000’s)Source: Brown, D. Source: Brown, D. Principles of Principles of

Language Learning and Teaching. Language Learning and Teaching. (p.p.9-15)(p.p.9-15)

Trends in Linguistics and Trends in Linguistics and PsychologyPsychology

PsychologyPsychology 1940’s-1950’s:1940’s-1950’s:

Behaviorism/ Behaviorism/ NeobehaviorismNeobehaviorism

-1960’s:-1960’s:

Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

LinguisticsLinguistics 1940’s-1950’s:1940’s-1950’s:

Structural Structural LinguisticsLinguistics

-1960’s:-1960’s:

Transformational-Transformational-Generative SchoolGenerative School

1940’s-1950’s1940’s-1950’s BehaviorismBehaviorism

-It focused -It focused onlyonly on on publicly observable publicly observable behaviorsbehaviors

Structural LinguisticsStructural Linguistics--OnlyOnly observable observable

linguistic behaviors linguistic behaviors can be studied. can be studied. Language could be Language could be dismantled into dismantled into small pieces or small pieces or units, described units, described scientifically, scientifically, contrasted, then contrasted, then added up again to added up again to form the whole.form the whole.

Cont’dCont’d

BehaviorismBehaviorism -Notions such as -Notions such as

intuition, intuition, memory, memory, thinking, or any thinking, or any mental mental processes were processes were ignored.ignored.

Structural LinguisticsStructural Linguistics

--Notions such as Notions such as meaning or meaning or thought were thought were completely completely ignored.ignored.

Cont’dCont’d

BehaviorismBehaviorism-Learning a behavior: -Learning a behavior:

through through conditioning conditioning ‘organisms’ to ‘organisms’ to respond in desired respond in desired ways to stimuli --} ways to stimuli --} Practice/ drilling is Practice/ drilling is important.important.

Structural Ling.Structural Ling.-Learning language:-Learning language:conditioning learners conditioning learners

to make the right to make the right connectionconnection between between stimuli and the stimuli and the desired responses --}desired responses --}

Drilling in the language Drilling in the language classroom was a classroom was a dominant method.dominant method.

Cont’dCont’d

BehaviorismBehaviorism

-Reinforcement -Reinforcement (Positive or (Positive or negative) plays negative) plays an important an important role in learning. role in learning.

Structural Ling.Structural Ling.

-Positive/ negative -Positive/ negative reinforcement reinforcement play a significant play a significant role in language role in language learning.learning.

The 1960’s - 1980’sThe 1960’s - 1980’s Cognitive Cognitive PsychologyPsychology

--Meaning, Meaning, understanding, understanding, and knowing are and knowing are important important psychological psychological data.data.

Transformational-Transformational-Generative Generative LinguisticsLinguistics

-They broke away -They broke away from the from the structuralists’ structuralists’ insistence on only insistence on only studying observable studying observable language language (performance)(performance)

Cont’dCont’d

Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

-Cognitivists sought -Cognitivists sought to discover to discover underlying underlying motivation and motivation and deeper structures deeper structures of human behavior.of human behavior.

Transformational-Transformational-Generative Generative LinguisticsLinguistics

-Linguistics goes -Linguistics goes beyond mere beyond mere description of the description of the surface structure of surface structure of language.language.

Cont’dCont’d

Cog. Psych.Cog. Psych.

-Instead of focusing -Instead of focusing on the mechanical on the mechanical stimulus-response stimulus-response connections, connections, cognitivists tried to cognitivists tried to focus on focus on psychological psychological principles of principles of organization and organization and functioning.functioning.

T-G LinguisticsT-G Linguistics-Studying competence -Studying competence

reveals the hidden level reveals the hidden level of of meaningmeaning and and thoughtthought (deep structure) that (deep structure) that generates the generates the observable observable performance.performance.

-learning language: -learning language: language is species-language is species-specific; it is innate: specific; it is innate: human beings are born human beings are born with the ability to learn with the ability to learn language.language.

The 1980’s – 2000’sThe 1980’s – 2000’s

ConstructivismConstructivism It involves the integration of linguistic, It involves the integration of linguistic,

psychological, and sociological psychological, and sociological paradigms.paradigms.

The active role of the learner is The active role of the learner is emphasized.emphasized.

A. Cognitive constructivismA. Cognitive constructivism: emphasizes : emphasizes the role of the learner in constructing the role of the learner in constructing his/her own representation of reality:his/her own representation of reality:

ConstructivismConstructivism

-Learners must transform complex -Learners must transform complex information to make it their own. information to make it their own.

A more active role for students in A more active role for students in their learning.their learning.

Piaget argues that, “learning is a Piaget argues that, “learning is a developmental process that involves developmental process that involves change, self-generation, and change, self-generation, and construction, each building on prior construction, each building on prior experiences.” (in Kaufman, 2004). experiences.” (in Kaufman, 2004).

ConstructivismConstructivism

B. Social ConstructivismB. Social Constructivism:: emphasizes emphasizes the importance ofthe importance of social interactionsocial interaction and and cooperative learningcooperative learning in in constructing cognitive and emotional constructing cognitive and emotional images of reality. images of reality.

Language learning is a result of Language learning is a result of thinking and meaning-making that is thinking and meaning-making that is “socially constructed and emerges “socially constructed and emerges out of [learners’] social interactions out of [learners’] social interactions with the environment.” (Brown, p. 13)with the environment.” (Brown, p. 13)

What is the Best Theory?What is the Best Theory?

No single theory is right or wrong all No single theory is right or wrong all the way!the way!

““Some truth can be found in every Some truth can be found in every critical approach to the study of critical approach to the study of reality.” (Brown, p. 14)reality.” (Brown, p. 14)