Topic 1 – language acquisition and learning

Definition

- system communicating with other people using sounds, symbols and words to express meaning, idea or thought.

- Used in many forms such as oral, written and expression (body gesture)

- Define as systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use or conventionalized sounds, gesture that the meaning is understood.

- Tool 4 communication

Views about language learning

1. Structural view. phonemes. grammar units (phrase, clauses, sentences). grammar operations (add, shifting, join etc). lexical items (words)

2. Communicative view. express functional meaning.. learn to express communication functions and categorizes of meaning.

3. Interactional view. establish and maintain interpersonal relationship for performing transactions between people.

Language learning process

1. Babbling – pre-linguistic, babies begin to make vowel sounds.2. Single words – holophase stage, children produce first real words.3. Two words – children begin using 2 words sentences/phrases.4. Multi-word sentences – children produce short sentence, learn new word

everyday.5. Developmental sequence – linguistic elements in children understandings

What makes a good language learner?

1. Think about how she is learning.2. Willing to experiment and take risks.3. Realistic.4. Independent.5. Organized and active.6. Balanced concern for communication and accuracy.

Factors effecting language learning.

1. Internal – age, personality, motivation, experinces, cognitive abilities, native language

2. External – curriculum used, mode of instruction, opportunity to interact with native speaker.

Acquisition vs learning

1. Language acquisition . occurs passively and unconsciously.. children just pick up language.

2. Language learning. occurs actively and consciously.. process where human past the critical period of learning second language.. have to know the rules.

3. Nature vs nuture. nature – informal (parents, experiences)

- environment (exposure, acquisition).nuture – formal (teachers, syllabus)

- classroom (systematic, learning)

Topic 2 – theories of language learning

1. Behaviorism- can be conditioned by altering the environment.- positive and negative reinforcement will causes such behaviour to happen again.- learner are viewed as passive and learn language step by step by imitation, repetition, memorize, control drilling and reinforcement.- main focus is to make the child behave with the help of mechanical drills and excersise.- learning is the acquisition of new behaviour.

# behaviourist principles

1. Use rewards2. Provide immediate and frequent feedback for complex and difficult concepts.3. Provide practice, drill and activities to enhance mastery of facts.4. Break down complex task into simple.5. Sequence material from simple to hard.6. Established contract with students on what they do and what they will get.

Two basic problems

1. Teachers fear to give students reward causes students to lose interest in learning for reward sake.

2. Imitation doesn’t help students in real-life situations.

2. cognitivism

- focus on mind and attempt to show how information is received, assimilate, stored and recalled.- require active paticipants to learn.- view learning is a process of relating new information to previously learned information.- occur when individual can associate new learning with previous knowledge.- actively involved in learning process.- errors also accepted as part of learning.- learners as an active participant.- teachers can be more effective if they know what the knowledge of the students.- teachers provide effective instruction so that learner acquire knowledge more effectively by teaching how to learn, remember, think and motivate.

# cognitive principles

1. Present info in an organized manner - show logical sequence- go from simple to complex

2. Bring to mind relevant prior learning.3. Provide opportunities for students to elaborate new info.4. Help students process information in meaningful ways so that they can become

an independent leaner.

Behaviourist vs cognitivism

Focus Behaviourist CognitivistView about the mind A blank slate.

Basically alike.an active organizer.Varied, with multiple intelligence and learning styles

Student-Teacher roles Teacher plans and sets goals for learning.One best way of teaching.

Students participate in planning and goal-setting.Teacher teaches with variety.

Motivation Reward is motivation. Learning is motivator.Curriculum content Students are taught ‘what’ Students are taught ‘what’

and ‘how’Assessment Teacher assess.

Product is important.Students are involved in peer and self- assessment.Product and process are important.

3. Social constructivism

- learning is a social activity.- cooperative, collaborative, and group investigation methods allow students to discuss ideas, beliefs and values.- learner interpret what they hear, read and see based on previous learning, habits and experience.- emphasize the importance of the learner being actively involved in the learning process.- teacher plays the role of facilitator.- students should be provided with authentic and challenging activities that make they wok together. - authentic settings provide students with opportunities problems from different perspective and generate solutions through sharing and exchange of ideas.- aim is to create a situation more closely related to collaborative practice in real world.

# SC principles

1. Encourage students autonomy and initiative - students responsible for their own learning.- respect students ideas and encourage independent thinking.

2. Promote high order thinking questions among students.- ask question that influence students response.- challenge students to analyse, justify and defend their ideas.

3. Engage students in meaningful learning- provide students opportunities to express their ideas.- involve students in real-world situations.

4. Humanism

- person feels about learning is as important as how the person think or behaves.- concerned with the idea of self-actualization, growth of a person to achieve.- learning is the progress towards self-development. - students learned because of self-motivation.- teachers effort is to develop students self-esteem.- student-centered (student take responsibility and own their learning)- teachers as facilitators.- creates educational environment, fosters self-development, cooperation, positive communications, personalization of information.- participatory and discovery methods is the best.- teachers should take seriously about students academic needs and emotional needs.

# humanism principle

1. Make a warm, democratic, positive and non-threatening environment for students.

2. Provide learning experience that lead to development of attitudes and habits.3. Teachers be the role model.4. Students been given choices and freedom to come out with activities.5. Teacher as the facilitator and share ideas with students.6. Learning based on experiences, discovery, exploring and experimenting.7. Respect students feeling and aspirations.8. Provide opportunities.9. Students set their own goals and own pace.10.Experiential learning is encouraged.

Topic 4 – second language learning theories. (Universal grammar)

What is universal grammar?

- human languages that have the grammar rules that is known by all human beings..Three main point of critique of Skinner (Chomsky)

1. Poverty of the stimulus- speaker know the expression that is acceptable and unacceptable in the language.

2. Constraints and principle cannot be learned- child easy to master language is because they have innate knowledge of certain principle that guide them in developing grammar of their language.

3. Patterns of development are universal- children learn various aspects of language in very similar order.

Similarities in universal grammar

1. Phonological universal- with detailed information, we know where is the location and manner of articulation of the consonants.

2. Syntactic universal- the verbs, nouns, adjectives and pronouns

3. Semantic universal- one semantic universal regards our notion of colour.

Universal grammar and fist language acquisition

- where children started to develop language from easy to complex part.- let them speak even wrongly because that is how first language acquisition develop by children.- children have the innate capacity to learn universal grammar

1. children successfully learned native language when there are not expected to learn anything that is so complicated.2. successful mastering basic structure of their native language and dialect in variety of conditions, some enhance and some inhibit it.3. no linguistic rules and examples for them.4. cannot learned tp manipulate symbols language.5. no right or wrong when they speak.

Universal grammar and second language acquisition.

- human create second language, try to talk like the people who use the second language as their first language.

2 factors that affecting 2nd language acquisition

1. Individual differences.- rate of development.- ultimate level of achievement.

# Fixed factor- age- language learning aptitude

#Variable factors- motivations- external factors influences

2. Cognitive style- way people perceive, conceptualize, organize and recall information... field dependent – like to work in group.. field independent – like to work alone

Learners strategies

1. Cognitive strategies – learn new concept to prior knowledge2. Metacognitive strategies – organizing timetable to work according it for effective

studies3. Social strategies – looking forward to speak with native speaker.

Strategies to develop second language

1. Repetition (imitation)2. Memorization (recall)3. Formulaic expression (word or phrase that function as units)4. Verbal intention getters (initiates interaction)5. Answering in unison (responding)6. Talking to self (internal monologue)7. Elaboration (further information)8. Anticipatory answer (completing phrase or statement)9. Monitoring (self-correcting errors)10.Appeal for assistance (asking help)11.Request for clarification (asking for explain or repeat)12.Role-play (conversation by taking roles)

Models of language acquisition

1. Maturation model – universal grammar become language specific grammar2. Strong continuity hypothesis – universal grammar remains constant and distinct

from the specific grammar.

Implication for teaching (similarities and differences of 1st and 2nd language acquisition)

Role of developmental sequence1. First stage is silent period

- processing language input- learners resist to use the language taught verbally

2. Second stage is formulaic speech- exposed to sample of frequent and useful phrases

3. Application of semantic simplifications- help teachers understand the production of imperfect language with errors.

Fossilization

- only attribute to 2nd language acquisition only.- teachers need to correct repeated errors make by the learners- once fossilization take place, it is hard to get rid of it.

Social issues

- teachers role is to choose the correct target language for learners.- Learners have to know the different varieties in the target language but in

learning, it must be consistent.

Similarity

ZDP (Zone of Proximal Development)

- Teachers assist learners by providing with language necessary to pass to the next level of language competency.

- Ex: test and examinations

Difference

Critical period hypothesis

- Children better in pronunciation- Adults faster and better learning in rules and pragmatics- Teachers give more exercise on pronunciation to adult learners- Adult and young learners have to be relaxed to create good attitude to the

language they learned.- Leaners need to freely interact and use the language often.- Positive feedback and praise besides the negative one is the first step to

achieve glory.

Topic 5 – approaches, methods and techniques

1. grammar-translation method

Key features

1. Taught in students mother tongue as medium of instruction. Little in target language.

2. Vocabulary taught from the isolated word list.3. Elaborate explanation always provided.4. Reading difficult text in the beginning of the study.5. No attention on speaking, listening and pronunciation.6. Exercise in translating disconnected sentences.7. Literary language is superior from spoken language.8. Teacher is the head in the class.9. Primary skills improved (reading and writing)10.Focus on accuracy not fluency.

Strengths

1. Quickly explained – translation is the easiest way to explain meaning or words.2. Effective way for grammar and sentences structure application.3. Easy for teacher because they do not have to be fluent in the target language.4. Least stress for student because all answer in their mother tongue.

Weaknesses

1. Wrong idea of what language is because learning started with reading2. Speech is neglected.3. Little contextualization of grammar.4. Type of error correction may be harmful.5. Less motivation6. Create frustration.7. No time for students to make their own sentences.

Learner and teacher interaction

1. From teacher to learner.2. Little learner initiation and learner-learner interaction.3. Learners listen, copy, write out excersise and correct it at the board.4. Average learners have passive role.5. Only absorbs and repeat what is been absorbed.

Application : typical techniques

- Fill in the blanks, memorization, composition, translation of literary passage and etc..

2. direct method

- More use of the target language.

Key features

1. Instruction in target language, no translation2. Learners actively involved in using the language.3. Encouraged to think in the target language.4. Oral and listening are taught. Oral skills emphasise on speaking styles and

correct pronunciation.5. Grammar taught implicitly. 6. New items taught through modeling and practice.7. Concrete vocab taught through demonstration, objects and pictures8. Abstract vocab taught through association of ideas.

Strengths

1. Effective way to create learner who competent in using the second language.2. Pupils become alert and participate in any acticities.3. Sound method that is from concrete to abstract.4. Employed in weak and good class.5. Quickest way of getting started.6. Learners able to understand, think and express with their own ideas.7. Fluent in speaking the language with good pronunciation and expression.

Weaknesses

1. Not all teacher good in the target language.2. 2nd language learned the same way as 1st language through total immersion

technique.3. Need lot of time to prepare materials.4. Grammar bound up with the reader, difficulty is experienced.5. Not properly applied in larger class.

Learner-teacher interaction

1. Both ways.2. Learner-learner – read text aloud together.3. Activity in speech and writing.4. Teacher and learner are partners.

Application : typical techniques

Q&A exercise, read aloud, students self-correction, conversation practice, fill in the blanks, dictation, map writing

3. audio-lingual method

- Focused on students pronunciation, train their ability by dialogues and drills.

Key features

1. Depends on mimicry and memorization.2. Structural patterns by means of repetitive drills.3. No explicit grammatical explanation. Learners should infer grammatical rules.4. Skills are sequence – listening, speaking, reading and writing.5. Limited learning of vocab.6. Use tapes, language labs and visual aids.7. Train to speak like native speaker.8. Learners cannot use mother tongue language at all but teachers can but only a

few.9. Praise and reward.10.Cultural background of target language is stressed.

Strengths

1. Encourage shy students to speak.2. Help creates sense of fluency.

Weaknesses

1. Learner who need written word will find it confusing.2. Use non-authentic language3. No creative and open ended language use.4. Learner never create new things.5. Fluent but cannot use it in daily communication.6. Boring and mindless.7. Not improved performance.

Learner-teacher interaction

1. Teacher-directed.2. Interaction between teacher and learners is initiated by the teacher.3. Directing and control the language behaviour of the learner.4. Teacher responsible to give good model for imitation to the learner.

Application : typical techniques

Repetition drill, chain drill, grammar games, use of minimal pairs, dictation, complete the dialogue.

4. silent way

- A constuctivist method which lead the learners to develop their own conceptual models.

- Teacher be silent in the classroom. - Students have to produce much language as possible.

Key features

1. Focus on discovery, creativity, problem solving and use of accompanying materials.

Learning is facilitated if….

1. learner discovers or creates – teacher and learner work cooperatively - learner not a listener but active speaker.

2. accompanying physical objects – uses of colouful chart, rods, vocab and syntax.

3. problem solving involved the material

2. Teacher just give minimum repetitions and correction leaving learner struggling to solve the problem.

Strength

1. Problem solving learning look attractive and it foster creativity, discovery, increase intelligence and long term memory.

2. Teachers highlight the importance and centrality of learner who responsible to figure out.

Weaknesses

1. Harsh method – not provide learners the language for everyday situations2. Learners not work with authentic, cultural based material, and hearing authentic

speech in the instruction.3. Minimum help, no praise and critics and no question.4. Materials are difficult to get.

Learner-teacher interaction.

1. Teacher set up situation to force answer.2. Silently working with them.3. Teacher give clues when speak. 4. Learner-learner verbal interaction desirable and encouraged

Application : technique – colour-coded Fidel Charts

5. suggestopedia

- Human brain work how we learn most effectively.- Methods include elements such as relaxing music and art.- The aim is to help students achieve childlike openness, plasticity and creativity- In the state of infantalization.

Key features

1. Rich sensory learning environment.2. Positive expectation of success.3. Use of a varied range of methods.

Strength

1. Deals with learners with their own abilities that are often quite harmful and often quite negative.

2. Set up a non-evaluation classroom that avoids criticizing and praising. 3. Process of desuggestion and resuggestion requires teachers to make deliberate

and skillful use of the general learning atmosphere.4. Teachers need to be lively, cheerful and efficient.

Weaknesses

1. Teachers need to be well trained.2. Have right personality.

Learner-teacher interaction

1. Teacher interact with whole pupils and individual.2. Learner respond nonverbal with few target language that they had learned.3. Learner more control the target language and respond more appropriate,4. Learner interact with each other.5. Teacher is the head in the class.6. Learner must respect and trust teacher.

Application : technique

- adopts carefully structured approach using 4 main stages.

1. Presentation – preparatory stages = learners relax and move into positive frame of mind, feeling that the learning is fun and easy.

2. Active concert (first) – active presentation = dramatic reading3. Passive review (second) – learner more relax with text been read very quite in

background. Music selected to bring leaner to optimum mental state.4. Practice – use of games like puzzle – review and consolidate the learning.

6. community language learning (CLL)

- Created for adult learner that afraid to appear fool in front of people- Teacher become the language counselor that understand and leads them to

overcome their fears.- Formula SAARRD – security, assertion, attention, reflection, retention,

discrimination.- Leaner responsible bringing their own unique resources.

Key features

1. Learning more important than teaching,2. Learner provided with opportunities to decide what they want to learn, guide their

own learning and learn with their own pace. 3. Teacher not control the class.4. Small group activities encourage interaction and cooperation.5. Focus on fluency than proficiency. 6. Language to convey messages and develop creative thinking.7. Grammar is less important.8. Teacher not correct errors immediately.9. Teacher provide model by producing correct utterance.

Strength

1. Works well with lower levels that struggling to produce spoken English.2. Learners more aware of their peers, strength and weaknesses. So, the want to

work as a team.3. Work with their own choosing and creation, intimately involved with material.4. Teacher established an atmosphere that helps minimize behaviour problems.

Weaknesses

1. Leaners find it difficult to speak on tape, conversation lacks spontaneously.2. Teachers find it strange to give learners so much freedom and tend to intervene.3. Neglect need of guidance.4. Teacher who lack emotion and intellectual sensitivity and skills of teaching will

find it ineffective.

Learner-teacher interaction

1. Teacher and learner making decision in the class.2. Building relationship, threat reduce, and non defensive learning is introduce.3. Spirit of cooperation introduce.4. Teacher give learners ability to express themselves and incharge and provide

direction.

Application : techniques

1. Learner speak in native language.2. Teachers helps express what learners want to say in target language translation.3. Chunks produce by learners are recorded, replayed like conversation.4. The transcription become the text which learners work.

7. total physical response

- Child give physical responses when listening to language.- The goal is to teach oral proficiency and conversational fluency.- Emphasis on voice, action and gesture.- Instruction in target language.- value of language associated with physical response.- Grammar based view – focused on meaning not form.- Human brain has set pattern for learning language.- Assessment type compatible with method include evaluation of learner, actions

and gestures.

Key features

1. 2nd language learning is parallel to 1st language learning. 2. Reflect same naturalistic processes3. Listening develop before speaking.4. Speech develops naturally.5. Adult learners use right-brain motor activities and left hemisphere watches and

learns.

Strength

1. Learners move around while learning, more relaxed and humour environment.2. Fun and easy.3. Simple activities that not require lot of preparation.4. Work well in mixed ability class.5. Good for kinesthetic learners.6. Memorable.7. Class size is not a problem.

Weaknesses

1. Not effective in higher level of learning.2. No independent language use.3. Useful mostly for beginners.4. Preparation is an issue for teacher to teach at higher levels.5. Learner not given opportunities to express own taught in creative way.

6. Boring.7. Certain target language is not suitable.8. Challenge for shy learners.

Learner- teacher interaction.

1. Teacher interact with whole group of learner and individual.2. Teacher speak and learner respon verbally and later vice versa.3. Learner learn from each other.

Application : technique

1. First phase, teacher give commands to learner and perform action with them.2. Second, learner demonstrate what they understand and perform them.3. Teacher combine all different commands to allow learner to develop flexibility in

understanding unfamiliar utterance.4. After oral, learner learn to read and write.5. Learner issue the command when they ready to speak to avoid anxiety.