Constructivist learning and the Second Language Acquisition Classroom

For ETEC 530-65A By Nicholas Graves

Constructivist theory has many branches and iterations, but in its most general

definition constructivism attempts to create authentic learning activities that allow

learners to interact and immerse themselves in the content. Jonassen (1994) notes

that constructivist-learning environments provide multiple representations of

reality and emphasizes knowledge constructions over knowledge reproduction.

Furthermore he notes that tasks need to be meaningful in context rather than

abstract instruction and be situated in real-world settings. Finally he notes that a

constructivist-learning environment supports the collaborative construction of

knowledge through social negotiation, and not through peer competition. Following

these principles we can see that the constructivist-learning environment is a

particularly effective way to teach a second language.

Learning a second language involves cognitive processes, cultural processes and

language processes (Zhao, 2013). It is difficult to develop a learning environment

that meets the needs of all learners as each learner has their own background that

affects their needs. For this reason classroom interactions, both engaging in and

listening to, have come to the forefront of Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

pedagogy. According to Ellis (2005) Interactions have been central to theories of L2

learning and pedagogy since the 1980s. This emphasis on interaction though has

led to an over reliance on direct interaction and to the belief that the more a student

interacts in the classroom the better. (Zhao, 2013)

Ellis (2005) has developed ten principles that highlight the most effective practices

of the Second Language Acquisition classroom.

1. Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of

formulaic expressions and rule based competence

2. Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning

3. Instruction needs to ensure that learners also focus on form

4. Instruction needs to be predominantly directed at developing implicit

knowledge of the second language while not neglecting explicit knowledge

5. Instruction needs to take into account the learners built-in syllabus

6. Successful instructed language learning requires extensive input of the

second language

7. Successful instructed language learning also requires opportunities for

output

8. The opportunity to interact in the second language is central to developing

second language proficiency.

9. Instruction needs to take account of the individual differences in learners.

10. In assessing learners second language proficiency it is important to examine

free as well as controlled production.

Following these principles the SLA classroom, to be effective, must provide students

with multiple opportunities for authentic participation in the language. This means

that the students must have the opportunity to interact with each other in the

second language outside of the constraints of the classroom and in real world

circumstances, using the language in a manner that makes sense to them, but it also

means that not all interactions are equal. One of the core ideas of constructivist

activities is authentic tasks, meaning activities must be situated within the real

world and allow for multiple perspectives and representations of concepts (Ernest,

1994). Similarly these tasks must embrace students backgrounds and prior

knowledge. By creating authentic interaction and tasks educators are able to make

the learning process relevant to students and make them feel invested in the

learning process.

As extrapolated from Ellis (2005) ten principles, at the core of the effective SLA

classroom is interaction and discussion. Zhao (2013) notes, however, that the SLA

classroom has come to over rely on interaction on the classroom, assuming that any

interaction is positive interaction. Furthermore noting that there is a tendency to

overemphasize direct interaction and ignore passive interaction such as listening to

discussion. Attentive listeners, he notes, make similar efforts to find out answers

to questions and make modifications when indirectly receiving feedback which is

addressed to the direct interactant.. (Zhao, 2013) In other words the amount of

interaction with an educator will lead to more proficient verbal interaction but it

does not necessarily lead to higher levels of proficiency across the board. Effective

interactions then must be more communal in nature, a belief that is very much in

line with the social nature of the constructivist classroom.

Authentic Activities

Project based learning is a branch of constructivism and is an instructional approach

that provides the opportunity for learners to participate in authentic activities. It is

an approach that engages students interests and motivations while also allowing

them to reflect upon their own choices and opinions to make decisions that will

determine the outcome of the project under study (Fauzia, 2013). It can be

particularly effective in the SLA classroom as it creates effective interactions

wherein the participants choose the content and amount of learning. In this way it

motivates learners by giving them the opportunity and freedom to explore the

language in ways that interest them and are relevant to their contexts. In the sharing

of their projects learners are able to interact with meaningful input and expression

from their classmates and materials that are divergent from their existing linguistic

competence (Fauzia, 2013).

An example of an effective project based activity in the SLA classroom is the use of

video and multimedia story production. Video and multimedia story production

allows learners to create situations that utilize real world language in personalized

situations (Nikitina, 2011). When producing a video in the SLA classroom, learners

have the opportunity to build an authentic world using props, locations, and real

world language, as well as add other post-production elements such as music or

subtitles. This allows for the students to become fully immersed in the language and

create more meaningful retention of the language (Goulah, 2007). The process of

world building also helps to shift learners from practicing a language to actually

employing it (Nikitina, 2011).

Video and multimedia story productions can be done alone or in groups but is most

effective when interaction and/or collaboration is emphasized (Goulah, 2007). By

telling a story in groups, learners are forced to develop meaning together and in so

develop a better understanding of the second language. (Mitra, Tooley, Inamdar,

Dixon, 2003) This also occurs in the sharing and discussion of stories after they have

been created. Through these interactions students can increase their language base

by listening or reading the output of their fellow students. Similarly follow up

discussions allow for students to share their own perspective on the activity and

connect it to their background knowledge, enhancing and strengthening the

learning process.

Not all classroom interactions are equal, and for them to be effective, classroom

interactions must include an opportunity for students to evaluate and process their

own work as well as the work of their peers. Raoofi, Chan, Mukundan and Rashid

(2013) note that metacognition is a significant contributor to success in second

language acquisition. Similarly Jonassen (1994) notes that a strong constructivist-

learning environment provides ample opportunity to reflect on their learning and

process an activity after it has been completed. Again though, as Zhao (2013) notes

about interaction only being effective if it is directed and purposeful, Raoofi et al.

(2013) also argue that for metacognition to be effective students must be supported

in the process. In this manner project based learning allows students the

opportunity for both direct and indirect interactions, enhancing the learning

environment and supporting language growth.

Project based learning is not the only effective constructivist strategy for the SLA

classroom, but it is perhaps the easiest to apply. Problem based learning can also be

an effective strategy in the SLA classroom however as it necessitates a higher degree

of competency with the language it may be difficult to apply in beginner or

intermediate classrooms. Similarly case based learning requires students to have a

significant knowledge base from which to survey a problem, and as a result

beginner and intermediate language learners might lack the requisite skills to

effectively engage the problem. That being said if learners do have a strong

background in the content of the problem or of the case being studied, these

pedagogies support the pedagogies of a successful SLA classroom and could be

implemented effectively.

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

As previously stated balanced interactions are most effective way to foster language

development. Computer mediated communication has the benefit of occurring free

from constraints of time and space and can provide a wider world for the learner to

interact in. Synchronous written communication is one of the most effective uses of

CMC in the SLA classroom as it forces the learner to negotiate both form and

meaning. Blake (2000) has done significant analysis of CMC interactions and found

that it allows students to identify gaps in their learning and to rework the form and

structure of their writing to provide greater clarity. To make the best use of CMC

activities need to based in the constructivist principles already discussed, providing

students the opportunity for cooperation, negotiation, and convergence of resources

in completing a task (Blake, 2000).

There are drawbacks to CMC, with the biggest being the lack of oral production and

a limited growth in the learners ability to better understand the spoken word (De

La Fuente, 2003). This can be mitigated by the inclusion of CMC activities that utilize

synchronous spoken communication. This can be done in conjunction with written

activities or independently, either way it is an easy way to increase the effectiveness

of CMC in the SLA classroom. Another drawback of CMC is that it can overly focus on

negotiating meaning and neglect grammatical form (Chapelle, 2007). The main

cause of this neglect tends to be that task completion focuses more on

understanding and creating responses than on proper grammar in communication.

This can be overcome by placing an emphasis on grammatically correct discussions,

however this may reduce the effectiveness of the overall communication. As such it

might be more efficient to ignore grammar and focus on it in other venues.

In general though, CMC use in the SLA classroom can be used effectively in

constructivist activities and help enhance authentic participation. Also by providing

the ability to overcome obstacles of space and time it can create more opportunities

for learner to interact and increase their input and output of the second language.

To get the most out of CMC in the SLA classroom activities should be organized to

emphasize both constructivist and SLA principles such as focusing on collaborative

negotiation of knowledge and increasing input and output of the second language.

Supporting Background and Prior Knowledge

A major emphasis of all theories of constructivist pedagogy is supporting

background and prior knowledge (Jonassen 1994, Ernest 1995, Honebein 1996,

Mvududu and Thiel-Burgess, 2012). Ellis (2005) also notes that SLA instruction

needs to take into account the learners built-in syllabus. In this way instruction

must not be seen as the transmission of knowledge from the educated to the

uneducated, but instead teachers must act as guides that provide students the

opportunity to build on what they already know and provide a learning

environment that utilizes the discrepancies between what students dont know and

what they need to know. Along these same lines, educators must ensure that

learning activities and tasks are important to students and connected to their built

in knowledge base.

Conclusion

Constructivist and SLA pedagogy have much in common. Both emphasize providing

real-world environments and problems for students to interact in, the social nature

of learning, and recognition of students background knowledge. These pedagogies

converge around the idea of authentic tasks and authentic interactions. Successful

SLA classrooms should utilize theories of constructivism and in particular attempt

to provide students the opportunity to participate in project based learning. By

doing so educators can ensure that despite the differentiation of language and

culture in their classroom, all students have the opportunity to be successful. As

Mvududu and Thiel-Burgess (2012) note A constructivist approach has not only

been found to be effective in improving test scores, bust also overall participation

and retention of material.

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