Theories of Learning and Learning Language

:Different view of L1 and L2 Acquisition

Elih Sutisna Yanto, M.Pd.

Adapted from a presentation given by: Dr.Jane Waters

UNIVERSITAS SINGAPERBANGSA KARAWANG

 Learning and knowing?
• Do humans learn all that they know?
• How do we come to know things?
• Is all learning the same?
• Do we learn in different ways?

• Facts – content: I know that…..

• Opinions – ideas: I think that…..
• Social position: this is my friend, this is my teacher.
• Emotions: I feel sad, I am angry.
• Self image: I am a good pupil, I am a naughty girl.
 What is learning?
The three central theories we will consider
suggest learning is:
• responding to external stimuli – behaviourism;
• making meaning of experience for oneself –
constructivism;
• making meaning of experience through social
negotiation – social constructivism;
 Behaviourism

• the ‘empty vessel’;

• the ‘blank slate’;
• Burrhus Skinner (1904 – 1990) American psychologist;
• focused on observable, quantifiable events and
behaviour, the effect of the outside world on individual
behaviour;
• not interested in hidden internal processes;
• Behaviorism is a theory of learning focusing on observable
behavior and discounting any mental activity. Learning is
defined simply as the acquisition of new behavior. (Alan
Prichard 2009:6)
 Traditional behaviorists believed that language learning is simply a
matter of imitation and habit formation.
 Children imitate the sounds and patterns which they hear around
them and receive positive reinforcement (praise of just successful
communication)
 Thus encouraged by their environment, they continue to imitate
and practice these sounds and patterns until they form ‘habits’ of
correct language use.
 As a result, the quality and quantity of the language which the child
hears, as well as the consistency of the reinforcement offered by
others in the environment, should have an effect on the child’s
success in language learning.
In other words, The behaviourist view of learning
emphasises the repetitive conditioning of learner
responses.
 Behaviourism is based on the proposition that
behaviour can be researched scientifically.
Learning is an automatic process which does not
involve any cognitive processes in the brain.
Pavlov’s “Respondent Conditioning” results from
the association of two stimuli, such as causing
dogs to salivate at the sound a tuning fork.
Skinner developed “Operant Conditioning” where
the “Stimulus-Response” association is elicited
through selective reinforcement (rewards or
punishments) to shape behaviour
Behaviourist Learning Theory is a process of
forming habits; the teacher controls the learning
environment and learners are empty vessels into
which the teacher pours knowledge.
Behaviourist Language Theory is based upon
Structuralist Linguistics and is identified with the
Audiolingual/ Audiovisual method, - associated
with the use of rote learning with repetitive drills.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Repetition Drill:
T: I study in the morning
S1: I study in the morning.
T: I study in the afternoon.
S2: I study in the afternoon.
T: I work in the morning.
S3: I work in the morning.
Substitution Drill:
T: John is cold
T: hungry
S1: John is hungry
T: in the class
S2: John is in the class.
T: John and Mary
S3: John and Marry are in the
class.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Transformation Drill: Replacemen Drill:
T: I like the book.
T: The book is new. S1: I like it.
S1: Is the book new? T: I met the people in Jakarta.
T: We are in the class. S2: I met them in Jakarta.
T: John will come here.
S2: Are we in the class? S3: He will come here.
Etc. Etc.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Response Drill: Cued response Drill:
T: What did the man buy? (a book)
T1:Alice is at school. S: The man bought a book.
T2: Where is Alice? T: Who will help us? (his brother)
T3: at school. S: His brother will help us.
Etc.
Etc.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Rejoinder Drill: Restatement Drill:
T: Come to my house.(be polite) T: Tell him where you live.
S: Would you like to come to my S: I live at Ahmad Yani street no.5
house. T: Ask her what she has for
T: Your idea is not good. (disagree) breakfast.
S: I disagree with your idea. S: What do you have for
Etc. breakfast?
Etc.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Completion Drill: Expansion Drill:
T: I bring my book and you
bring......
T: Mathematics
S: I bring my book and you bring S: We study mathematics.
your book. T: Everyday
T: I have to solve....own problems.
S: I have to solve my own
S: We study mathematics
problems. everyday.
Etc.
 Types of Pattern Drills In ALM
Contraction Drill: Integration Drill:
T: I didn’t mean to kill the bird.
Which one do you think is true?
S: I didn’t mean it.
The earth goes around the sun or
T: Don’t go to that please.
the sun goes around the earth.
S: Don’t go there.
S: I think the earth goes around
Translation Drill
the sun.
T: Saya sangat senang buah-buahan.
S: I like fruit very much T: I know that lady. She is wearing
T: Ada beberapa murid di kelas itu. a blue shirt.
S: There are some students in the class. S: I know the lady wearing a blue
etc shirt.
 Among other things this approach emphasizes repetition in the
form of drills, accuracy and the avoidance of errors.
 Imitation : word for word repetition of all or part of someone else’s
utterance
1. Mother: Would you like some bread and peanut butter?
Katie : Some bread and peanut butter
2. Mother: Get undressed
David : I’m getting undressed
I’m getting on dressed
I’m getting on dressed
I’m getting off dressed.
David, almost four years old,
experiments with the word ‘undressed.
The child is playing with similar sounds
and comparing patterns and meanings
which he recognizes from other words
 Reinforcement
• Skinner’s theory suggested:
– the response a learner receives from an action can
increase or decrease the likelihood of that action
being repeated;
– desirable action can be positively reinforced by
reward;
– undesirable action can be negatively reinforced by
reprimand or punishment;
– repetition of such patterns enables child to learn
what behaviour is desirable and undesirable;
 Pavlov’s dogs
• behaviourism is similar to Pavolv’s theory of operant
conditioning;
• it is a stimulus-response model;
• assumes learners modify their behaviour (the
stimulus) until they receive a positive response;
• repeated positive response will ensure the behaviour
is learnt;
• suggests that without positive reinforcement a
behaviour becomes extinct;
 Behaviourist teaching approaches
• repetition of desired responses (drilling, flash
cards,times tables chanting …)
• reward for desired behaviour (smiley faces,
praise, house points, merits …)
• punishments for undesirable behaviour
(missing playtime, loss of ‘golden time’,
detention, warnings, sanctions …)
• have been adopted for behaviour
management programmes (‘catch them being
good’)
Conclusion
 Reflective points:
1. Summary of your reading ! (at least 50
words)
2. Best points (Write 5 favorite points from the
topic you do enjoy reading!)
3. What I have learned from each task in this
unit? (least 100 words)
4. What I need to improve? (least 100 words)
5. What I have not understood yet? (at least
100 words)